


A Chance for Discovery

by Adapted_Batteries



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Duncan ran away from said village, Gen, Ghosts, Mentions of Violence, Thaumcraft, Werewolves, based kind of off his minecraft, finished fic, not really set in minecraft but uses minecraft mods..., odd medieval village in somewhat modern times, sheltered village AU, vague descriptions of wounds, who knows how long this will go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-31 07:40:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 34,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3969583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adapted_Batteries/pseuds/Adapted_Batteries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Duncan flees his technology-fearing home to find a place where he can experiment and explore his technological curiosities, making a friend along the way.</p><p>The main building was influenced somewhat by Panda Labs from the first Flux Buddies series. Duncan and Kim's relationship is platonic, modeled off how they interact in Flux Buddies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Escaping the Mundane

**Author's Note:**

> When I'm bored in class, I write stories, and this is one of them. I have no clue if I'll finish my other story, but I felt the need to get this typed up as much as I could.

There were machines of every sort in the lab, some were even powered, but it had been some time since someone had been here, judging from the layer of dust coating everything in the room. Besides the light from his torch and little sunlight creeping through the boarded up window, the room was dark. The lights from the powered machines created an ominous glow, eerie and unnatural, but the unnatural seem to beckon him, draw him further into the unsettling room.  


He’d never seen anything like these machines, for his home town was simple, constrained by the fear of technology. He already received reprimands for being “too inquisitive for his own good” by the schoolmaster, and his father took the reprimand as yet another sign to tell him he was a bad kid. “You’re gonna learn, boy, or next you’ll be out of this house. I’m not going to be ruined in this town because you can't keep your nose out of what it shouldn't be in,” his father had yelled in his drunken rage, thankfully too clumsy to actually hit him.  


Thus Duncan found himself in this room, with only his pack on his back and his wits to keep himself alive. He didn’t intend on going back either. He was old enough to take care of himself, he had no one who needed him. His mother had left his family when he was young, though recently he learned it wasn’t that she didn’t love him. He got his curiosity from her, but she was unable to keep herself safe from his father, a major leader in town politics. She fled, or tried to flee, only to “come victim to a wild beast,” the wild beast being his father’s sword. He was too young, and his father clever enough to cover it up. But now that he was old enough, he felt like he owed her, to satisfy the curiosity she could not.  


The lab he stumbled upon by sheer luck. After a few days of travel on foot, he started to explore around him. His father didn’t care for him enough to actually go looking for him anyway. Though he didn’t need any more food, he decided to stay a few days in the autumn-tinted woods he found himself in. It looked as if he had wandered months from home; there were new plants and trees Duncan had never seen before. Immediately he wondered if other people were in the woods, and started searching for tell tale signs of life. He wandered for a few hours deeper into the forest, suddenly remembering the stories of witches and sorcerers that lived in the orange forest, but wondered if they were just had more advanced technology than the peasants could comprehend in legends. No sooner did he dismiss his fear when he saw a building in the distance. It was made of stone bricks, not traditional cobblestone or wood. He quickened his pace as he neared the out of place building. It was definitely a human construction, but must have been abandoned for months. Moss and vines grew on the rock face, creating an out of place camouflage against the red and yellow foliage.  


The building was most unusual, its design was unconventional to traditional cottages. It seemed to have a central square building with other rooms on all side, as if they were additions. The vines were nothing he had seen before either. The leaves matched none of the shrubs and ground cover around. He used his sword to cut away the vines at the entrance, revealing a simple wooden door. He nudged the door open, revealing stale air and darkness. The room he entered had no furniture, though there were scuff marks on the floor as if furniture had been moved. He continued forward with the light entering from the open door, making his way to where he judged was the central room.  


The central building was divided into several mid-sized rooms, each with wooden doors similar to the entrance. Some refused to budge, but one easily opened. It seemed to be a laboratory of some sort. Machines of all types were organized around the room, some still functioning. Duncan didn’t have the slightest idea how to use them, but he proved to be quite the tinkerer in his old life. Now he had the freedom to explore his talents.


	2. New Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan explores the building he found.

He spent the next few hours exploring the rest of the building. Some of the doors didn’t open, but luckily the kitchen/living area opened. There seemed to have been a bed at one point in the corner of the room; the previous occupants seemed to only take that item with them. A stove, table and two chairs, shelves with pots and pans, and a tool repair bench lined the walls of the room, which was small enough to keep warm with the stove. Duncan decided to stay at the building for awhile, knowing the forest legends were probably enough to keep people away.  
After gathering wood for the stove, he settled in for the night. Soon the room was warm, and after his evening meal of salted pork and berries he had picked, sleep came easily.   


The next day Duncan spent tinkering with the machines. He took the boards of the window of the lab, finding glass panes underneath, allowing sunlight to enter the room. The sight was even more impressive than when he first saw it; the light reflected off of the metallic surfaces, instantly brightening the room. The machines looked less ominous and confusing now he could see them, though he still didn’t recognize anything in the room. He also saw tools hanging on the far wall that could come in handy; an axe, spade, hoe, an assortment of wrenches, pliers, a hammer, and many more he had never seen before. Thankfully they were organized and labeled, so he at least knew what to call them.  


He attempted to open some of the other doors, using the newly found tools. He was able to open one door, possibly the best room he could have opened. The room was full of chests and shelves, most filled with items. “I may actually stay here,” he thought aloud as he looked into the chests. They contained all sorts of items, from pieces of technology, wool, seeds, blankets, cans of food, and other items he didn’t recognize. He knew how to farm, he managed the family garden at home, so this would be his first task.  


He timed his escape well; he finished his planting at home, and left. His father would fend well enough without him. Now with the source of seeds, Duncan could fend, and most likely flourish. Some seeds he recognized for things like tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, and squash, but others he’d never seen before. “Well the best way to find out is to grow it,” he said aloud to the empty room. He spent the day planting, work made easy thanks to the quality hoe from the tool rack. Soon enough he’d have fresh vegetables for himself, but there seemed to be enough cans and wildlife around to keep him fed till they grew.  


Most of the canned and pickled things were the same as the seeds, and the others looked totally bizarre to him. He was tempted to try them all, but the restrained himself, knowing that breaking the seal would spoil the whole can. Instead, he organized them based on on what he saw inside, then continued to organize the rest of the room’s contents to the best that he could manage.  


He stopped when he became hungry, eating more of the berries he picked. While eating, Duncan was reminded that he needed to plant as soon as possible, so after he ate, he grabbed the pouches of seeds and the hoe and set out to an open area next to the building. The hoe was spectacular, it tilled the land with ease. Before the afternoon came, he had tilled an acre of land. He found a watering can with the seeds as well, and filled it up in the creek near his new garden plot.  


He had everything planted and watered before sundown, allowing him a bit of sunlight to explore around the building. He found another safe berry patch, and mint growing next to a thick oak tree. Tomorrow, he decided, would be the day he catalogued everything within a square mile of his new home, just as he had back in the village. He knew he would eventually have need of healing herbs that grew in the forests, so it was best to know where they were located, and even transplant some of the less invasive ones to the garden.  


He didn’t consider himself a healer, but he did spend quite a lot of time with the village healer. Next to his mom, Richard was the most technologically inclined. Healers were considered to be eccentric but wise, meaning that the village would listen to his suggestions as long as they weren’t too taboo. He was responsible for spurring the development of metal weapons, and was recently working on a piece of glass that could see far away objects. “I’ll have to visit him later,” Duncan mused. It would be tough, but healers normally lived just outside the village in the forest to be near the herbs.  


As the sun set, Duncan collected some water for the night and set about fixing himself some dinner. He enjoyed not having any responsibilities to uphold for his father,, never having his father loom over his shoulder or burst into his room and find him tinkering with objects. It was as if the elders didn’t want to advance at all. Duncan didn’t understand their absurd reasoning, and could never find out the true reasons for the village’s forced stagnation.  


It was almost a hobby of his, to try and find out what had happened in the past, but no elders would give him a straight answer, and the only records he could access hinted nothing. It all seemed like a religion to him, one that required technological abstinence and a sworn oath not to prod and poke at the past. But a trip to the village church wouldn’t answer his questions either. The priest avoided the argument all together, only talking in archaic language from a fading book.  


He fled his home when his prodding got too deep, his questions too invasive. His father threatened to beat him, the council wanted to try him for heresy, possibly punishable with lynching if he didn’t learn his lesson in the whole of a prison the village had. The final point came when his father stumbled in his room as Duncan fiddled with a small lifting machine prototype. Fortunately Duncan had prepared for this moment, keeping a pack filled with necessities under his bed. As his father started yelling, he grabbed the pack and and ran after he shoved his father forcefully into the wall. The blow, combined with the alcohol in his father’s body, was enough to knock him out.  


He ran as far as he could, then started his journey to a better life. Duncan assumed he would feel at least slightly homesick by now, but he had no inkling of regret. He couldn’t go back anyway, he would be tried and most likely sentenced to exile or lynching for having the prototype in his possession and assaulting his father. He ended his old life there when he stepped into the forest’s edge.  


But it was all apart of something bigger. There was a reason Duncan stumbled upon this magnificent building, a reason he spent so much time learning from Richard and experimenting on his own. Soon, he would find out, but for now he relished the quiet around him as he lay in his bed, his new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The visualisation for the tool wall came from the tool wall in the material hut on Nano's village.


	3. Magic in His Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan discovers the art of Thaumcraft.

Soon Duncan flourished. Within a few months, the summer plants were ripening. Game in the forest was steady; he always caught a squirrel or rabbit when he needed it. Some of the unknown plants were growing as well. Through experimentation, Duncan learned when to pick one plant. It was shaped like a bell, and had a crisp, fresh flavor. it also tasted best when picked after it had turned from a deep green to a bright red.  


Duncan had many little discoveries like this within the past two months; as the unknown plants grew, he tinkered with the machines. He was very proud of himself, but was a bit sad he had no one to gloat to. He also wondered what the village thought of his disappearance. He’d heard voices deep in the southern forest on one of his mini-excursions, but that meant they weren’t venturing any more than seven or eight miles from his new home. They weren’t going to ever enter his yellow forest, only skirt around it.  


Duncan couldn’t blame them either for avoiding the forest. As he walked back to the building one night, he saw strange bulbs of light scattered around. They weren’t very bright, but they added to the eeriness of the forest. Sometimes he heard noises through the walls as well, but never saw anything scary during the day. But otherwise the forest was tranquil.  


One day while looking through the chests in the storage room, Duncan found an old leatherbound book. Curious, he opened it, and never put it down afterwards. It was a magic book of sorts. It had things from machines to armor to wands in it. Some of the machines were already built in one of the labs he had found. He decided to learn what the book called “thaumcraft”. It really wasn’t like the legends described magic as, perhaps the legends described some other craft.  


After rummaging around in the chests, Duncan found a wand like the book described. It wasn’t the best wand he could make, but it was better than the introductory wand. Several colored bands around the tip of the wand seemed fluid, showing the levels of vis the wand held, according to the his book. There were different types of vis, like elements of thaumcraft, which were used for crafting and certain spells. They had to be collected from nodes, those glowing bulbs of light. One of the bands on the wand was empty, the one for perditio. It was a rarer element; few nodes contained it. In order to see what the nodes around him, he would have to make a thaumometer to scan them.  


The thaumometer was Duncan’s new favorite tool. After he figured out what the arcane looking desk in the corner of the room did, scanning objects for their elements was all Duncan did. He would carefully use discovered elements to craft new ones so he could scan more items. His book, which he learned was called a thaumonomicon, seemed to be magically linked to his desk and thaumometer; as he learned new elements, new parts of the book appeared.  


Within a few weeks, Duncan had discovered most of the elements, charted where nodes were for refilling his wand, and tinkered with some of the machines. With the crucible he was able to make magical substances for light and fuel, but he was running out of metal resources. Mining without the proper tools would be very difficult, but as he tinkered with more of the machines, he found one called a “quarry”. His village mined clay for bricks from a quarry, so Duncan wondered if this machine could go into the rock. After carrying the machine outside and a distance away from his home, he looked for a power source. Within twenty minutes he had found another machine called a “solar generator” which seemed to use the sunlight for power, and he sat it down next to the quarry. Once he found a wire to connect them, the quarry hummed to life. A screen lit up on the side of the machine, and asked for dimensions. After giving some rough measurements, pipes spontaneously burst out and built themselves into a square. A thicker pipe extended into the ground and started drilling. Soon rocks started spilling out on the ground, so Duncan rigged up a storage system with spare pipes and a chest to hold the valuable minerals.  


After the machine had ran for a few hours, Duncan was glad he put the quarry a distance from his home. It was making quite a deep hole, even as he threw in the excess rocks and dirt back in to make room for valuable ores in the chest. It seemed to ignore the loose materials, mining as if it wasn’t there. Once the sun set, the generator stopped working, so he disconnected the machines and hauled back some minerals in a cart.  


His first mining experience was extremely successful. He got enough iron and coal for a month, and gained some new ores he had never seen before. Perhaps his most valuable treasure were the element shards the machine dug up. He had over half the elements in crystal form now, and even duplicates of some. The shards were invaluable for crafting better wands, new machines, and for vis. Plus, they looked great across the wall of the laboratory, giving off a faint colored glow.  


Though it was hard work, living on his own was very rewarding. He was able to explore his talents in the safety of the forest, and he developed quickly. But as time passed, Duncan felt an inkling of loneliness in the back of his mind for someone he could laugh with. However, one day, his wish came true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, this is becoming more minecraft influenced, but besides the machinery, it isn't set in minecraft. Essentially the quarry is a crutch for material sourcing needed for thaumcraft.
> 
> Also I will be going on vacation so this story will not be updated for a week or so.


	4. Visitor in the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stranger arrives in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from vacation. I will try my best to keep this updated every other day until it is finished, but I've arrived at the place I left this story at while in school, so I'm writing it now.

It was a particularly stormy night, but Duncan was cozy in his bed. He had grown used to branches hitting the walls, but this night the sounds were different. It sounded like someone knocking on the front door.  


Cautiously, Duncan made his way to the front door, torch in hand. He opened the door to find a short person huddled in the doorway. A spontaneous burst of compassion overcame him, and he quickly led the shivering person inside to the hearth. “You must be freezing,” he said as he grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped it around them. “Why were you in the woods at night?”  


After a few seconds the shivering person lifted their head to speak. She was unlike anyone Duncan had seen in his village and unlike any of the few travellers that came through. “I...I ran away,” she sniffed, causing her already almond shaped eyes to almost shut. Though she was pale from the cold, her skin seemed to have a yellowish tint to it.  


Because of his own situation, Duncan felt no need to intrude on the details other than to make sure she wasn’t being followed. “No, no one is f...following me. I’ve been on my own for a f...few weeks now.”  


Duncan was more than prepared to help her. “Stay as long as you need.” He heated up leftover stew he had; she looked very skinny and frail. Once he gave her the stew, she seemed to warm up.  


“You live here on your own?” She asked between spoonfuls.  


“I ran away a few months ago, stumbled on this building out of sheer luck,” he said, almost studying her as she ate. She seemed too interested in the food to notice.  


“Ran away...but you’re the size of an adult. How old are you?” she asked. Though he never saw her kind before, she must have met traders because she spoke his language well.  


“Old enough to marry, old enough to be tried as an adult,” Duncan mused, but when he noticed her confusion, he clarified, “Almost sixteen.”  


“Did you break the law? Is that why you fled?” she asked holding on to her now empty bowl.  


“Yes, but an absurd one at that. Hmph, if only they saw this place, they’d kill me on the spot for fear of contamination,” Duncan fumed.  


She suddenly looked scared, her eyes scanning the room frantically. “Is there a disease?”  


Duncan chuckled. “No, my village has an irrational fear of progress, of technology,” he said, motioning to the nearby machine in the room which he called a “freezer”.  


“They’re afraid of freezers?” she asked. Duncan was surprised at how relaxed she acknowledged the machine. He stared thoughtfully at the machine for awhile before continuing.  


“They are a very…backward people,” he said at last. “I don’t even know what made them so afraid. The few records that weren’t forbidden to read gave no hints.”  


“My culture isn’t afraid of technology, rather they simply don’t know about the advancements. Traditions are valued, so they saw no need to change. But I traveled often with my father, he was a merchant, that’s how I learned about new machines.” Duncan didn’t want to pry, rather he let her speak on her own time. Quite frankly he didn’t want to talk about his father at all, not that he had anyone previously to talk to. “One day when traveling, we were stopped on the road by some people, my father called them ‘business partners’ but they seemed more like gang members. Apparently he hadn’t fulfilled a promise to them so they tied him up and took him away. I was hiding in our cart, and thats when I started running. They didn’t even see me leave.” She shuddered a bit as she recalled the memory.  


“Do you think he’s still alive?” Duncan asked, intrigued by the story.  


“I don’t know. They seemed pretty mean, and I don’t know what business my father had with them,” she answered. “I stayed in a nearby town for a couple days, but I didn’t feel safe staying in one place, so I kept wandering, eventually seeking the safety of the forest, then I found you...well you found me.”  


Duncan felt sorry for her, but there wasn’t really much he could do to help find her father. “I think you’ll be safe here; we’re secluded enough.”  


As they talked, Duncan forgot what time it actually was until a wave of tired swept over him. He got up and took her bowl over to the basin to clean. “You can have the bed, I’ll grab more blankets and sleep on the floor,” he said as he grabbed his torch.  


“Are you sure? I don’t want to take your bed,” she said.  


“Nah, it’s fine. You’re my guest, and you’ve had a terrible night,” he said with a wink, then disappeared into the dark corridor before she could respond.  


As he walked back with several thick blankets, Duncan mentally thanked the previous owner's apparent sensitivity to the cold. “I don’t think I caught your-” he started as he walked into the room, but he never finished the sentence, seeing her already asleep in his handmade bed. Once his makeshift bed was made, he added a bit of wood to the stove and settled in to a deep sleep.


	5. Duncan's New Apprentice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stranger from last night ends up becoming Duncan's new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a shorter chapter, but I felt it ended well where it does.  
> Hopefully I can get the next chapter out within the next few days or so, but I can't put it on a specific day yet.

Through the fog of sleep, Duncan realized two things: his back felt sore because he was on the floor, and someone was cooking food. Groggily, he opened his eyes to find the stranger from last night storing something in a pot. He sat up, giving away his presence with a groan as his back popped.  


"Good morning," she said, turning around. "I felt I owed you at least breakfast for taking me in last night."  


As he became more awake, Duncan remembered his unfinished question from last night. "You know, I never got you name last night," he started. By now he was standing, further stretching his sprained back. "My name's Duncan," he said while twisting to try to relieve the pain.  


"Kim," she said, pouring the pot's contents into two bowls. It seemed to be a soup of some sort. "My father taught me how to make the most of what you had, so I learned how to make a lot of soups. Where I'm from, soup is a common breakfast meal."  


"What all did you put in it?" he asked, sitting down at the table.  


"Just threw in what I could find, some meat, rabbit I assume, a potato, carrots, some herbs. If you had oats or cornmeal I would have made porridge."  
Duncan tasted the soup; it was much better than his stew. He didn't know some of the herbs he found could be used this way. "It's delicious," he said between spoonfuls.

  


Once breakfast was eaten, Duncan set about to work more on his thaumcraft. "I'd rather not have you in the lab, it can be dangerous. You're more than welcome to tend to the garden," he said to Kim as they exited the room.  


"I understand, thanks again for letting me stay here," she said then bounded off to the front door.  


Duncan had used the infusion altar before, but with varying results. It seemed to be particularly unstable last time, giving off a lot of flux gas, but Duncan needed to charge these wand caps if he was to advance in his craft. It was some time past noon when he stepped outside with the supplies and made his way to the etched stone arch. Referencing his book, he placed the appropriate items and vis-filled jars on and near the pedestals. He had forgotten heat sent Kim to the field until she appeared next to him as he started the infusion.  


"What are you making?" she asked as Duncan hastily moved away from the altar.  


"Stand back, it could hurt you," he said as the square rune at the top of the arch started to rotate with magic. Kim looked at it, seemingly mesmerized by the raw magic, but at much too close of range. Before he could reach her, an arc of energy sent her flying back a few paces. "Are you ok?!" he shouted as he ran to her. She stirred when he neared; Duncan was relieved she wasn't dead. When she came to her senses, her eyes shot open.  


"What was that?" She asked, wide-eyed.  


"Excess energy, it's why I told you to stay back." He helped her sit up; she seemed to be unharmed. "Most of the time it's a good idea to stay away when I'm working with the infusion altar," he paused to look up at it. "It seems it worked, but there's a bit of flux so let's leave it alone for awhile." He helped her stand up and guided her to a nearby stump so she could sit. She seemed less scared now.  


"What were you making?" she asked, stretching her arms cautiously.  


"I was charging wand caps to make a better wand. Once they are charged they will store the vis I collect from nodes." He noticed her confused face once again. "This is thaumcraft, a type of magic. There are several types of vis, like elements, which can be used to make different substances. Nodes are those little faint bulbs of light you may have seen in your travels, they have vis in them which the wand can harvest." He took out his wand from a loop on his belt and held it up so she could see the vis-level bands. "Those colorful striped tell me how much vis of each type my wand contains."  


She looked at it with a mix of awe and inquisitiveness. "So is vis a liquid?" she asked. Duncan hadn't really thought about it before, so he went and grabbed a jar of Terra from the altar.  


"It seems to act like both a gas and a liquid," he said as he opened the jar. The deep green fluid seemed to almost creep out of the jar but never leave, only to collapse on itself back into the jar with a muted splash. It moved slowly like billowing fog, but was collected like water.  


Anyone from his village would have freaked out at his "sorcery", but Kim was different. She was always intrigued by his stories and machines, and wanted to learn more just as he did.  


After some time of watching the vis move, she looked back up to Duncan. "Could I learn this....thaumcraft?" she asked, searching for the new word.  


"I don't see why not. The thaumometer, book, and desk seem to be aligned to individual life forces, so you can use mine." He gave her the book to open. "What do you see?" he asked. She thumbed through the book fairly quickly.  


"It's blank except for the first page," she answered, closing the book and handing it back to him.  


"Then it's settled, you can be my apprentice," he concluded with a smile. "Once I build this new wand, you can have my old one," he said, making his way back to the altar to retrieve his items. "If you don't mind, help me carry some of these jars back to the lab and we can get you started."  


As they walked back to the lab, Duncan was ecstatic. Not only did he have a new friend to keep him company, but he was now a mentor. Back in his village, he would have to had years of training before he could be called a master in anything, so this meant much to him, even if he no longer lived in the village. I guess some things just stick with you, he thought, watching Kim organize his vis jars with a smile.


	6. Danger in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim is attacked in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long gap, I got sick a few days after getting back from vacation and unfortunately hadn't written any more. But now I'm back! Here's a longer chapter to make up for the lack of updates.

Duncan started to regret his decision a week later. Up until now, there was no complaining or whining in his home, but Kim changed that. At first, Duncan didn’t mind; it reinforced his “master” position in his head having a whiney apprentice follow him around, but soon it grew to annoy him.  


“Duncan, I can’t scan this leaf.”  


“Duuuncan, how can I get lumos faster.”  


“Duuuuncaaan, I want a cool wand like yours.”  


“Duuuuuuncaaaaan, why does this take forever, I’m sick of scanning stuff.”  


“JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!” he yelled one day, as they travelled to a node to fill wands. His outburst rang in his ears in the near silent woods. After looking at him for a few seconds, a teary-eyed Kim rand ahead as quick as she could, which was much faster than he could run. “Kim, Kim wait,” he yelled, softer this time, trying to get her to stop. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” but she was already out of his field of vision. This part of the forest was particularly thick, he knew he had to find her before she got lost.

  


An hour later, Duncan was concerned. He’d not found her yet, and they were nearing the mountains, where he wasn’t familiar with the terrain. He’d stopped yelling when his throat started to get rough, but now he resumed, a hint of fear in his voice. “Kim, Kim! It’s not safe here, we need to head home soon to beat the sunset.” The sun was going down fast, faster than it should have normally it seemed. “Must be a storm coming,” he muttered to himself, but he couldn’t see the sky past the thick canopy of leaves to verify that. He resumed his calling for her, but it was met with silence.  


With another hour gone, Duncan knew they were in trouble. The sun was down, and it was dreadfully dark. Scared, Duncan thought of going home, but he couldn’t leave his only friend out here. “Kim, it’s really unsafe, we need to head home now,” he yelled again, but this time, he was met with a sniffle in the distance. He approached where he heard the noise, a lee in the rock face at the base of the mountain. It was very dark now, so he made a torch to see. “Kim,” he started softly, “we need to go home, it’s not safe here.” To his relief, Kim emerged from the rock, but didn’t speak. “Come, let’s go home.” She started to move towards him, but froze as a savage growl came from above the rock. Duncan looked up; he had no clue what was up there but instincts told him to run.  


Kim at least got the idea, but as she started to move, the thing looked down at her. Duncan thought it wouldn’t jump the 15 or more foot cliff, but the beast did, landing as if it was a few foot drop.  


Two things went through Duncan’s mind quickly. First, his brain analysed the beast, which stood about half as tall as the cliff itself. It had fur, and powerful legs and arms, all adorned with clawed paws. Its face looked like a dog, but more savage, more aggressive. But its eyes were the most curious part of it. They were an icy blue, almost grey, and seemed completely out of place on a dog. Secondly, His brain realized the beast was mere inches from Kim, who had been knocked down by its jump.  


For someone who didn’t like combat back in his village, Duncan immediately drew his sword he recently made, and charged the beast. However, before he could reach it and take a swing, it bit Kim’s lower leg as she tried to scurry away. Driven to anger by her scream, Duncan dropped his torch and slammed his sword in the beast as hard as he could. Somehow, his blow didn’t cleave the beast in two, but it did knock it down and leave a deep gash in its back. Forgetting the downed beast, Duncan immediately ran to Kim, who was holding her bloody leg. It was still in tact mostly, but bleeding profusely. His medical training kicked in, tearing off a strip off the bottom of his shirt to make a tourniquet above her knee to slow the bleeding. Remembering his torch, he ran to grab it on the ground, and realized the beast had gotten up. He scanned the area, and saw a tail disappear into the leaves.  


Relieved that it didn’t want to fight any more, Duncan handed the torch to Kim, who was somehow still conscious through what he imagined was unbearable pain, and scooped her up in his arms. He travelled as fast as he could back to their home without hurting her, thankful that she was over a head and a half shorter than him. He heard other noises in the dark forest, but pressed on as fast as he could make his legs go.  


When he got back to his home, he sat her down on the bed. She was now barely conscious; her wound was still bleeding, but not as profusely. “I need to stop this bleeding,” he said, scanning the room for any ideas other than the soaked bloody rags in his hand. His eyes saw the fire in the hearth, and he had an idea.  


About a month before Kim arrived, Duncan had been working on his tools, trying to repair his axe which had cracked. While trying to mould the metal, the axe’s sharp edge sliced open his glove and cut him. Duncan yelped, spewing expletives as he ripped the glove off to assess the damage. There was a fairly deep gash, but the hot metal burned the edges, sealing the tissue. Three weeks later, he only had a scar on his palm.  


Duncan wasn't sure if he could risk this idea on Kim, who had now passed out, but the dripping rag in his hand and made up his mind for him. He grabbed the still-burning torch on the wall and hurried back over to her. It was not the best method of cauterization, but the open shape of the wound where the beast took a chunk of her leg almost to the bone let him stick the torch completely in the wound. Immediately the flesh started to burn, and Kim shot up screaming by the time he pulled it back out. She passed out again from the new pain.  


Duncan watched her carefully for the for the next few hours. He cleaned the wound as best as he could, and cooled down the skin next to the wound so it wouldn't blister. He felt horrible, it was his fault that she ran off. But he couldn't apologize to her, she wouldn't wake up for a while most likely. Eventually he drifted off to sleep in the chair he pulled up next to her.

  


Something was poking him, he realized in his sleep. He opened his eyes to find Kim's hand on his knee, her index finger softly poking him. He snapped awake quickly, recalling last night's events. “Kim, you’re awake! I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled-” Kim held up her hand weakly to get him to stop. He didn’t realize how pale she was until the sunlight; she must have lost a lot of blood.  


“Thirsty,” she whispered hoarsely. Immediately he grabbed a cup and filled it with water. He sat her up and helped her drink. Once she finished, he started to examine her leg. It seemed to still be sealed, but it looked horrible. The bone was visible, and most the flesh around it was burnt. Duncan realized that it smelled like burnt steak, which made him make his stomach growl. But remembering Kim, he went to make her something to eat; she needed the food much more than him.  


When it came to deep wounds, Duncan had a nagging fear in the back of his head. He hadn't found the right herbs to treat infection out here, and the closer to the bone it was the more likely it would become infected. She seemed to be doing okay, slowly replacing the blood lost, but a day and a half after the eventful night she came down with a fever. At first it wasn't too high, but as the night progressed she seemed to get hotter. “Well, I guess at dawn we’ll leave and pay a visit to my friend Richard,” he said to a half conscious Kim. Despite the light-hearted tone, Duncan was deeply afraid for Kim's life. If he didn't make the three-day journey in time, she could die.  


While she slept, Duncan made his ore cart into a bed with extra blankets. He packed as much food as it could in his pack, with several large jars of water. He filled another jar with water put it in the freezer; it would be Duncan's only tool to keep Kim's fever down. The rest of the night he slept, or tried to; the reoccurring nightmares of that beast didn't help. Finally dawn started to seep through the window. Pack on his back, he carefully loaded Kim into the cart and set off to find Richard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try updating weekly for now, that seems a safe distance of time for me to write in.  
> I've also have a [tumblr](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com), and changed my name so people would recognize me on it. I've set up an ask box, so if people would like to send in fic prompts, I may do them, who knows.


	7. Richard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim make their way to Richard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter for you guys, this weekly upload seems to work well for me.

On the third day of his travels, Duncan about lost Kim. He woke up to find her barely breathing, the cloth on her head was as hot as bath water it seemed. He changed her cloth and tried to wake her up. “Hey Kim, Kim wake up, we’re almost there, hang with me.” Through some miracle, she gasped to make up for the shallow breaths, and opened her eyes. “That’s it, stay awake with me Kim, you’re gonna meet a cool guy soon.” He got her to drink and eat a little, then hastily started the final leg of the journey. He’d spend more time skirting the village then if he passed through, but Duncan couldn’t afford to step foot in the village.

About noon Duncan made it to the edge of the forest. The village, his old home, was visible a few miles away. He followed the treeline, narrowly avoiding some loggers as he passed the southern end of the town. From the south part of the village, Richard’s hut was about a mile southeast, but since they were taking the safe route, there was still three miles to go. Duncan tried his best to leg it,, but the continuous walking with the full cart took its toll. A little under an hour later, Duncan knocked on Richard’s door.

“Master Richard,” he called as he knocked. There was shuffling inside for a moment, then the door opened.

“Duncan?” he asked, shocked at his sudden appearance. But his profession kicked in as he saw Kim in the cart behind Duncan. Richard flew out his door to the cart. “What happened?” he asked, his tone professional as he looked at her leg.

“Animal bite, some beast I’ve never seen before. She’s got a fever, it has dropped a bit since this morning,” he trailed off.

“How high was it then?” he asked, feeling her forehead himself.

“I...I almost lost her,” Duncan stuttered. He didn’t realize until now how much he didn’t want Kim to die.

“Infection I assume. The wound is deep, good thing you cauterized, or she would have most likely bled out. I’ve got what she needs in the hut. Bring her in,” Richard said, going back into his hut. Duncan was relieved with Kim now in Richard’s care; he felt all the worry melt off him as he laid her on the patient bed. She stirred as he put her down.

“Where are we?” she whispered to him.

“We’re at Richard’s,” he replied as Richard himself walked up to the bed, a herb remedy in hand. “This is Richard.” Kim weakly waved back.

“I’m going to need you to drink this,” he said to her. She nodded, trying her best to sit up her own, but Duncan quickly helped her. Once Richard was satisfied that all she needed to do was rest, he led Duncan into his kitchen area. “I heard the news that you ran away months ago,” he said, looking into the cup in his hand. “Your father didn’t try to cover it up this time, decided to paint you as a coward I suppose. Some believe him, but most I’ve talked to have decided that you left to start a new life,” he paused to take a sip of whatever herbal infusion he had made and sighed, “your father has certainly helped the latter view. He seems to take to the bottle more frequently now, most of the time just embarrassing himself in the tavern. No one really looks up to him any more.”

Duncan was amused at this news. It seemed like poetic justice for his father to lose his status in the village once he forced away his family. “But enough about boring village politics, life seems to have been kind to you lately,” Richard continued, looking at Duncan’s now muscled and toned body.

“I found an abandoned building a few days from here, it has everything! Machines of all functions, even magical stuff.” He took his wand from its loop and showed it to him. Richard looked at it skeptically at first, until Duncan put a core on that he brought. Aiming at the middle of the room, he activated the wand, letting an arc of lightning shoot to the floor harmlessly. Richard jumped, but didn’t seem scared. “You should visit sometime, it’s a three day’s journey north.” 

Richard smiled at Duncan fondly, like a parent to a grown child. “It feels like just yesterday I had a little shadow that picked flowers in the woods. Now he’s grown up, got his own house and a woman.” Duncan flushed at the last statement.

“She’s not mine, she’s a friend, an apprentice in fact,” he responded, mustering the willpower to calm his blush.

“So what are you a master of then?” It hasn’t been but a few months,” Richard asked.

“Thaumcraft,” Duncan responded, gesturing with his wand. “And I wouldn’t consider myself a true master. No, I’ve got a long way to go for that. But it’s fun to have someone to teach along the way. I even make progress in my own learning by teaching Kim,” he paused to look at her across the room, sleeping peacefully as the herbs did their work. Remembering why she was in the bed in the first place, Duncan frowned.

“What’s wrong?” the healer asked when he saw Duncan’s face.

“I’m the reason she’s in the bed,” he answered, still watching her sleep.

“Go on, spill it, or you’ll regret it,” Richard responded, pulling his usual tactic of “get it out before it eats you” to get him to talk about something.

“I thought leaving home would completely free me from my father, but I realize part of him is still with me.” Duncan hated his father’s angry outbursts, and barely lived through one of them, and now his own outburst hurt someone else. “I lost my patience with her when we were working almost a week ago. It was late, we were a few miles from home. I shouldn’t have yelled at her, scared her off…” Duncan tried to hold it together, but the week’s events finally took their toll on him. Richard knew Duncan better than anyone, and took him into a hug.

“You will never be like your father,” Richard said to the sniffling boy in his arms. “You’ve got too much of your mother in you, don’t ever forget that.” Duncan soaked up the fatherly love from Richard for a few minutes before he pulled away. Richard Smiled at puffy-eyed Duncan. “And I’d like to think as your practically surrogate father I brought you up well.” Duncan returned the smile.

“I think you did, otherwise I wouldn’t be alive still, nor would Kim.” Duncan decided to change the subject. “When we were at the base of the mountains, there was a beast. The one that attacked us. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Well, what did it look like?” Richard asked.

“It was large, at least seven feet tall. Very muscular build, covered in fur. You know, it kinda looked like that dog one of the healers brought with him a couple of years back,” Duncan tried to think of his name for Richard who didn’t seem to remember, “it was Fredrick I think, his pet beast.”

After a while, Richard remembered. “Oh yes, Percy was its name, never met a more kindred soul that could also down a bear. I think Fredrick said he was a wolf he took in as a pup.”

“Imagine Percy about twice his size, standing on his hind legs, with dark brown fur and a more man-like posture. That’s what attacked us.” Duncan shivered at the thought, but a curiosity made him want to see it again. Richard seemed lost in thought, so he let him think.

“Recently, after you left, a healer visited me. He described a beast similar to yours that had attacked a village a week away from here, and told me about his time helping the village recover. What did he all it…..ah, I think he called it a ‘werewolf’. He said the village had a legend of a man who turned into a werewolf once every full moon, stories of people seeing the beast or its carnage kept everyone shut up in their homes once a month. Perhaps those legends were true, never dismiss legends, and this is what attacked you.” Richard’s conclusion was interesting. That he knew of, there was no one for many miles near his home, but perhaps someone afflicted with this curse lived in the mountains. Duncan knew he was getting too curious for his own good, fortunately, Kim started to stir in her bed.

Just as if it was old times, Duncan followed Richard over to Kim, keeping his distance but making sure to observe. Kim seemed to have recovered considerably within the few hours that they had been there. Out of habit, he felt her forehead, now a normal temperature. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“A lot better. I’m still tired, but I could do with some food.” She looked to Richard who was currently looking at her leg. “I don’t think we’ve met,” she said. He tore his thoughtful gaze off her leg, meeting hers with a friendly smile.

“I’m Richard the healer, Duncan’s friend and mentor.” He looked back at her leg before continuing. “I’d say you’re pretty resilient, from the stuff you’ve been through lately.” Kim gave Richard a weak smile as Duncan brought her some berries. “The herbs I gave you should counteract that infection, and you should be well on the way to recovery within a couple of weeks.” He stood up and looked at Duncan sitting on the edge of Kim’s bed, watching the boy care for her. “Why don’t you both stay for a few days, rest up before your journey back,” he paused when he saw the concern on Duncan’s face. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep my eye out for any visitors from the village. Your secrets are safe with me always.”

Duncan instantly relaxed at his promise; Richard always seemed to do that to him. Perhaps his wise but eccentric personality comforted him, or his fatherly looks: strong shoulders, short beard that matched his hair color, even to the specks of grey seeping into the auburn locks, eyes that had seen much yet still had twinkle in them. Maybe it was because Richard was the only one to protect him, to befriend him because he understood him. Regardless of the reasons, Duncan was extremely grateful; his mind wandered around happy memories as he dozed into sleep at the foot of Kim’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've picked back up on my other story, "Better than Expected", but progress is slow on it. Eventually I'll finish the next chapter of it, but "A Chance for Discovery" is my priority right now. I'll try to keep progress updates on my [tumblr](http://Adapted_Batteries.tumblr.com/) as much as I can.


	8. Anxious Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim and Duncan get ready to head back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any feedback on any of my stories, feel free to comment and/or leave an ask on my [ tumblr](http://www.Adapted-Batteries.tumblr.com/). I'm almost done with the next chapter of ["Better than Expected"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3478313/chapters/7637333) and will be posting it soon.

Though it was nice to visit Richard, Duncan had a fear nagging in the back of his mind that someone would come to get help from Richard and recognize him. Even if his father didn’t have as much influence in town, he could probably muster up a few men to capture him. He wouldn’t be able to put up a fight, even if he had gotten stronger, he had never been a fighter.  


On the second day of their stay, a villager arrived at Richard’s home. Richard and Duncan were behind the house chopping wood, when Kim saw someone walking up the worn path. Richard had told Kim to stay in bed, but watching Duncan, she knew it was life or death. Perhaps Duncan had planned for this; there was a large branch next to the head of her bed, which seemed to be cut to her size. With a huff, she swung her legs over to the edge of the bed, hissing in pain. Once she got ahold of the makeshift cane, she stood up, putting all her weight on the stick and her good leg. She hobbled to the back door, trying her best to keep quiet. Duncan and Richard were near the trees, around a quarter of a mile away. She couldn’t yell, the person would definitely hear it, so she frantically waved her free hand, hoping someone would loop up. Duncan was leaning against a tree, facing the house; Kim hoped he was looking this direction. He must have been, for once she started waving, he snapped forward, turned his head toward Richard, then both men flew towards the house.  


“Kim, why are you out of bed?” Richard demanded as they neared the house.  


“Someone is coming up the path,” she answered, her eyes flicking between Duncan and Richard.  


“Duncan, grab her and stay behind the house. If I knock four times on the back door, head into the woods. I’ll come and get you when they leave,” Richard ordered, taking control of the situation with ease. Duncan nodded in confirmation and scooped Kim up in his arms. She hissed in pain as he lifted her, he muttered “sorry” under his breath as they moved to a better hiding position.  


Once they were out of sight of the window, Duncan gently sat her down against the wall. He wanted to apologize for her pain, but he could hear Richard talking to the visitor. He tried to recognize the voice, and after awhile it sounded like Paul the farmer.  


“I’ve been feeling weird in the head, a pressure by my nose. I had a fever a couple of days back, but now it’s just headaches and a runny nose,” he heard Paul say.  


“I can help you with that, but you owe me some eggs for it, say a dozen?” Richard answered.  


“I can do that, but not all at once, my hens have slowed down lately,” Paul responded.  


“That’s fine, I’ll visit in a few days,” Richard said. There was some clinking of glass, sound of shelves closing, the noises of Richard mixing something up for Paul. “Take half of this tonight before you go to bed, and the other half the next night. It should get you feeling better in no time.”  


“Will do, Thanks Richard. See you in a few days,” Paul replied. Duncan heard the creak of the front door as it opened and closed. Within a couple of minutes, Richard opened the back door.  


“Paul’s gone. Thank you Kim for warning us. You two can come back in now,” Richard said as he stood in the doorway. Duncan stood up and scooped Kim into his arms again, ignoring the unconscious hiss of pain that accompanied moving her. After she situated herself on the bed, Richard checked her bandaged leg. “It doesn’t seem to have reopened, but I still want you to stay off of it for a few more days.” He stood up and turned to Duncan. “Before you leave tomorrow, I’ll make another dose, in case the fever comes back, or you can save it if needed.” As Kim relaxed into the bed, Richard motioned for Duncan to follow him to the kitchen. “Now I want you to study the effects of the bite. If the transformation affliction is transmittable, you could be in serious danger, and so could Kim with another werewolf near your home.” He glanced over to Kim, now asleep in the bed. “Has her demeanor changed at all? Any odd quirks that weren’t there before?” Richard inquired.  


“I’ve only known her for two weeks now, I don’t know what would be different for her. So far, she seems to be fine.” Duncan was quite concerned with the lack of control data to compare to for Kim; though she wasn’t big enough or able to hurt him now, what if she became like the beast?  


Richard could see the torment on Duncan’s face. “If I get any information from other healers, I’ll make a trip to you as soon as I can,” he assured Duncan. “Think of it as an experiment. Just be careful and don’t hurt her or get hurt yourself.”  


He tried to head Richard’s advice, but that night his mind troubled him. He needed rest, not to be going over worst case scenarios. _We’ve survived once before, we can do it again,_ he thought as he stared at the ceiling. He proved his medical knowledge by saving Kim, and surely made a dent in that beast’s back. How it hadn’t died on the spot still perplexed Duncan, then again he was surprised by Kim’s recovery. Perhaps she gained the resistance the beast had, which would confirm her becoming the beast. Right now was not the time to be formulating theories. _Go to sleep Duncan,_ he commanded himself mentally as he turned on his side. Eventually he drifted off into sleep.

  


He and Kim were in the lab, working on some thaumcraft items. Nothing was odd or amiss. He asked her to get a jar of a certain vis for him, but instead of completing his request, she started to growl, deep and menacing. Suddenly she changed. She was no longer Kim, but a beast. Instincts made him run into the woods; he could hear snarls behind him. he kept running until his lungs burned, finally keeling over behind a tree. He had no weapons, but he risked a peek around the tree. There were two beasts now, one Kim and the other one that bit her. They were staring right at him, waiting for the time to pounce. He wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t carry him. The tree that he was partially behind disappeared, leaving an open space for the beasts to get him. “Kim, stop! Don’t hurt me!” he yelled, pleading to the savage monsters in front of him, but the cry was ignored. At once, both leapt forward, covering the distance between them in a single bound.  


He shot up in his makeshift bed next to Kim, chest heaving and sweat sticking his hair to his forehead. There was a hand on his shoulder, and he heard a calming voice. “Duncan it’s ok, I’m not gonna hurt you.” It was Kim. He turned to her, relaxing at seeing her in a human form. “We’ll figure it out, don’t worry, I’m not gonna be like that beast,” she reassured him. “Now go to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us.”


	9. The Journey Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim make their way home.

When Duncan woke again it was early morning. The sun had not yet risen but was spilling its reds and pinks on the scattered clouds above. There wasn’t much to get ready; the real tasks were moving Kim to the cart and not being spotted by a villager who fancied an early morning walk in the woods.

The previous evening Duncan had tried to make the cart as comfortable as possible. Now that she was conscious, the ride back was going to be very painful for Kim. Richard had suggested putting a thick layer of straw and grass under the blankets to act as a cushion, but Duncan was still skeptical about how much relief that would bring. He had to admit she was very tough for what she had endured; most of the village girls he had known would still be sulking or terrified with little sleep, but Kim seemed less worried than he was.

Once he organized and put away his makeshift bed, he woke up Kim and Richard. Richard kindly prepared a hearty breakfast for them to fuel their journey, and even spared some meat for Duncan for the journey home. He was still slightly sore from the way to Richard’s, but this time he didn’t have to travel so quickly back; he could even stretch it to four days if needed. It was a bit saddening to leave Richard, but the relief of being isolated in the forest was well worth the heartache.

The sun was just peaking above the trees as they loaded Kim into the cart. Based on Kim’s faces, it was obvious that she was in discomfort. “I’m sorry, but it’s the best we can do,” Duncan said as he put some water jars in the cart for her.

“Just ignore my faces, and grunts. I’m very grateful for all you’re doing for me, I can bear some pain.” Richard came out of the house with a bag, handing it to Duncan. “Thank you so much Richard. I’d surely be dead if it weren’t for your herbs,” Kim continued, a smile on her face.

“You’re welcome, though something tells me you would have pulled through anyway, considering how well you’ve been recovering.” He turned to address Duncan before continuing. “Here are another two doses, just in case, and some herbs I figured you could use.” Duncan looked inside the bag to see what herbs were in it.

“Thanks Richard, it’s always reassuring to have goldenseal and thyme on hand, I’ll make sure these cuttings make it and flourish,” Duncan said, already thinking of where he wanted to plant them. Once he put the items in his pack, he turned to look at the sunrise. “Well, we better be off before the village wakes. Thank you again for your help.”

Richard smiled and pulled Duncan into a hug. “I’ll be sure to visit, either in three months or when I hear more information for Kim. Who knows, maybe I’ll venture away for a while, meet some other healers,” he shrugged, trying not to get distracted in thought. “I wish you safe and easy travels, Duncan and Kim.”

“Goodbye Richard,” Kim responded as Duncan started to pull the cart.

Eventually, Kim got used to the bumps and vibrations of the cart, Duncan supposed. She hadn’t complained at all, only the occasional gasp and grunt when he accidentally hit a rock or rut. At first, he enjoyed the relative silence, but as they neared the end of the first day, Duncan wondered if she was trying not to irritate him. As they sat around the fire, he tried to get her to converse, but she always picked short answers or made up excuses to get out of talking. He decided to chalk it up to being tired, and ended the train of thought as they went to bed.

The next day seemed no different. He tried talking to her during the day but she still seemed as if she was controlling every response. He never thought having her quiet would annoy him, but what was the use of having a companion of she didn’t talk? Duncan decided to find out what was wrong as he set up camp for the night.

“Why have you been so quiet lately?” he asked as he stared into the fire. The question seemed to catch her off guard, she hesitated before answering a little too quickly.

“I just don’t feel like talking,” she said.

“You’re probably the most talkative person I know, so don’t lie to me,” he said, turning his gaze to her, watching her with a scrutinizing eye. He watched her think for some time, letting her answer when she felt comfortable to.

“If I don’t talk much, I can’t annoy you.” This confused him at first, especially since she confessed like a child who stole an apple.

“Are you scared of me?” he asked, genuinely concerned. She didn’t answer at first, so he continued. “Cos you shouldn’t be. I don’t want to hurt you, I don’t even want to yell at you.” He turned back to the fire in thought. “I can’t promise I won't yell, but I’m trying very hard to be better than my father. I want you to understand I don’t hate you when I yell. It just comes out, like a stream from a covered pot.”

“But there has to be a build-up of steam to make it escape,” she finally responded. “I acted like the fire under the pot, making you boil till you couldn’t contain the pressure.”

He looked back at her, this time with sympathy in his eyes. She was right, he couldn’t argue otherwise there. “I didn’t have to yell. I could’ve been rational, talked to you first. I was impulsive like my father, and I regret it. I never want to be anything like him.” She seemed more relaxed now, less solemn than she had been the past couple of days. “How about we promise each other to not be impulsive, to think before we act. Let’s put this behind us, there are more pressing matters to attend to than past mistakes.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Kim responded, but her face betrayed the skeptical tone, giving off new mirth as the fire flickered in her eyes.

“Let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll be back home in our own beds,” Duncan concluded, happy with the new start.

The last day of travel was much lighter than the first two days. They talked most of the journey, making the time and distance slip away. Before they knew it, they were home just before supper time. “Tomorrow I’ll make you a better cane, then you can start moving around,” Duncan said as they ate in their familiar room.

“How long will it take to make?” Kim asked.

“Most of the day I suppose,” Duncan replied, a playful evil smirk appearing on his lips. Before she could protest, he cut her off. “I think you need one more day of rest. It certainly won’t hurt, I’d like to give the wound another stress free day to heal before you go frolicking around.”

Kim knew it was pointless, considering Duncan could easily pin her down with one arm if she tried to get out of bed. “Fine, but it better be a pretty cane,” she retorted.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be well worth the extra day of rest,” he reassured, already going over patterns in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I uploaded the next chapter of ["Better than Expected"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3478313), I've only written for "A Chance for Discovery". I have no clue when I'm going to upload again, but I want to soon, but there could be a gap of weeks before I update.
> 
> Rest assured, "A Chance for Discovery" will continue to be uploaded weekly. If you're curious or want updates for both of my stories, go ahead and check my [ tumblr ](http://Adapted-Batteries.tumblr.com) (I know, so much self promotion lately, sorry).


	10. Once in a Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan tries to find a cure as Kim recovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a bit of nudity at the end of the chapter (not descriptive, just stated) because that's what happens when you change back into human form after a night of werewolf shenanigans. I don't plan on describing anything of that nature, and I assume most of you can fill in the gaps with your imagination if you so desire.

With her new cane, Kim was back on her feet in no time. It took her a few days,to master walking without putting much pressure on her injured leg, but eventually she became pretty speedy. Many times Duncan warned her to slow down for the sake of her leg, and Kim always replied with a whine before complying with his request. Within a week of being home, Kim was already trying to ditch the cane. “But I feel fine, look,” she whined as she propped the cane on a wall and stood on her own. Duncan, now beyond done caring if she was in pain (or so he’d like to think, he was still a big softy for her well-being), looked at her skeptically from a workbench.

“Mmmhmm, can you walk? With no limp this time?” he questioned, concentrating more on his current project than her. Last time she said she could walk without the cane two days ago, she ended up crumpled on the floor a few paces from where she stood.

“Yes, this time if feels stronger,” she retorted, facetiously being sassy and melodramatic with her hands on her hips. Duncan put his project down on the desk and turned to face her.

“Walk then,” he deadpanned, resting his head on a propped up arm. But to his surprise, Kim showed little struggle or pain on her face, making it to the other end of the room with relative ease.

“See?” she said as she walked back to her starting position. By the time she got back, Duncan was immediately at her side, looking over her leg. “ Oh I’m fine!” she chided, swatting helplessly at his head as he kneeled to examine her leg, failing to deter his curiosity.

“Does it hurt? Feel anything weird? Can you flex for me?” he queried, touching and poking her leg. Kim tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his strong hands kept her leg practically glued to the ground.

“Come on, let me go. I’m not your experiment,” Kim sighed, knowing her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

“I want to make sure the muscle is healed enough before you go straining it too much and come hobbling back to me with a sprain. Now flex for me, please,” he stated. Reluctantly, Kim flexed, ignoring the weird feeling of Duncan’s hand unnaturally close to muscle. It had been almost three weeks now, but there was only a thin layer of new skin and scabbed scar tissue over the newly grown muscle. The wound had not quite gotten to bone, but was a mere inch or two away from it. Duncan wanted to make sure the repeated flexions and extensions would not rip open the skin and scabs, or worst case, the muscle. “Take it easy, very easy, when you walk. The new tissue is delicate and still growing. If you feel any pain or ripping sensation, let me know immediately.” Though Duncan thought she still needed to keep most weight off of her leg, he knew she’d be walking without a cane in secret anyway. At least this way he hopefully convinced her to be cautious. 

 

With Kim back on her feet, they resumed her thaumcraft training once more. He could tell she was being much more cautious in what she said, and even started apologizing when she thought she got too annoying. However, as she got better and learned, she complained less naturally. Though she was still a couple of months behind him, Kim was doing considerably well. It was nice to see progress in something with the lack of information on Kim’s condition.

Duncan had searched every book in the building, and even opened a very stubborn door (it only contained brewing kettles for ale), but was no closer to reversing Kim’s potential werewolfness. He wasn’t even sure what would happen to her when she transformed. Would it hurt? Would she remember anything? Would she even be aware to stop herself from hurting Duncan? For the weeks leading up to the full moon, These and other thoughts plagued Duncan’s mind. The only hint of hope Duncan had on a cure was from an old book he had found; it mentioned a curse called “lycanthropy” and its effects, another word for werewolf. There may have been a cure in it, but most potions and spells were in Latin and another language. The book confused him, some parts changed worlds, like how the thaumcraft book could add information. He assumed it was like thaumcraft as well in that regard, which meant potentially months or years of research for what he needed in a week. Kim seemed to be better at this craft; she was able to to read more than him, but still not far enough for a cure.

“Dont worry Duncan, We’ll find it eventually. I’m just as scared of what I will become as you are,” she comforted as Duncan stared helplessly at the book.

“I know,” he replied. “But I still want to find it.” It was the same interaction every time. Kim would try to reassure him, and he would keep on in research, but no progress was made. Normally, she’d drop the conversation there and leave him alone to his work, but this time she she stuck around.

“Look, you’re probably not gonna find the cure within seven days, so why don’t you work on doing things to protect yourself? Like reinforce the door or something,” she suggested. He looked up at her in horror.

“What? Don’t say that, I’ll find a cure…” he faded into mumbling, looking at the ground. Kim put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

“Duncan...Duncan look at me,” she paused, waiting till he looked up, “I know you want to find a cure, believe me, I do too, but we need to be practical here. As much as I don’t want to hurt you, I have no clue what my control will be when I change. I want you to be safe, that means staying inside and reinforcing that door. Do you understand?” he looked at her for a few seconds, but sighed in defeat under her commanding stare.

“A part of me thinks I can somehow miraculously whip up a cure, another part wants to deny it will happen. Searching is my escape I suppose,” Duncan confessed.

“I still want you to search for the cure, but I want you to be safe. If I ended up biting you-” she was stopped by Duncan.

“Dont say that!” he interjected.

“If I bite you, I won’t be able to get you to Richard if things go wrong, and I don’t have your herb knowledge. I need you alive and well to search for the cure,” she said. This seemed to give him the motivation he needed. He sat up straight and looked in him the eye.

“You’re right. I can’t just hide in books, I have to deal with reality,” he stated, a smile creeping up on his face. “I’ll get started on the door tomorrow, I should have some scrap metal around that will do the job.”

Kim smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit. Don’t worry, the full moon is just for a night, then I’ll be fine for a whole nother month,” she said as she retrieved her cane from the wall. “I’m going to tend to the garden, I should have some ripe tomatoes.”

“Be careful,” Duncan called after her, watching her leave with only the slightest of limp. While she was being productive in the garden, Duncan stayed in his lab most of the day, trying to glean any information from the book. He’d practiced some of this magic, but he did not seem skilled enough for the book to translate any more spells or potions. He decided to give up for the night when Kim called him for dinner. He listened to her ramble on about the plants, what had bloomed and what was in danger from insects and such. For once he didn’t mind listening to her; it helped keep his mind off of his hunt. Instead of his problem solving (or lack thereof) being on the cure, it was now focused on how to help the plants blossom and grow. With his sage patch growing wildly, Duncan suggested planting cuttings next to the endangered plants in hope to ward off the pesky worms and beetles. That night he went to bed thinking of the garden, trying his best to push away the sparks of doubt and worry in the back of his mind.

The next morning Duncan set about his task to reinforce the door. With old scraps from dud tools, he was able to make large metal straps. His idea was to mimic traditional reinforcements on a wooden door which were typically done with wood. The door was composed of two large wood slabs nailed together with two planks at the top and bottom where two of the three hinges attached. Using nails he made for his task, he nailed a metal strap under the top plank, and another above the bottom plank, creating two horizontal braces.Then he took the third strap and connected the first two straps in a “Z” shape, bracing the middle of the door. With the middle braced, the normal plank that went across the door would be more efficient and resisting opening. As he stepped back to admire his handiwork, a sense of dread creeped onto him. What if his reinforcements were tested in six days? He shook his head to try and rid himself of the thought, but it stayed.

 

The day of the full moon was agonizing for Duncan. To him, Kim seemed almost at peace with the situation, though it was just a brave face she put on to try and calm him. Instead of staying inside fretting over the mystical book, Duncan collected vis for his wand, in the off chance he’d have to use one of the cores for the protection. He was scared, not for his own life, but for hers. What would happen if she met the other werewolf? A part of him wanted to follow and observe, but he knew that was beyond stupid. Kim was letting him watch the transformation through a window, however if she ran off into the forest, he would not be able to follow.

As the sun set, Kim grew ancy. He managed to get her to eat dinner, for he assumed the transformation required energy. Once the sun dipped below the trees, Kim went outside. “No, you can't follow me,” she growled, the calm facade replaced with an animal’s behavior. “I don’t know when I will transform, stay inside.”Duncan knew there was no sense in arguing. He went through the house to the window, Kim already on the other side. In the dark room, Duncan was able to see out, letting him watch her as she crouched on the ground. He couldn’t help but think of what pain, both physical and emotional, she was in as the transformation started.

Kim growled in pain. He desperately wanted to help her, to somehow ease her pain, but the thought vanished as she morphed into a near identical copy of the beast that bit her, ripping her clothes apart with a growl and snarl of what he assumed was pain. There was nothing he could do now, only hope she made it through the night. When the transformation finished, Kim looked into the window, freezing Duncan in place. He knew she could see him, but he didn’t know if she would try to get him. Like the other werewolf, Kim’s eyes glowed, purple instead of blue. It was almost a mesmerizing sight until Kim looked up at the sky and howled, low and keep, making Duncan shiver in fear. With one last stare at the window, Kim turned and lumbered into the woods, leaving Duncan still frozen at the window.

 

When Kim stirred from sleep, she had no idea where she was. The previous evening she assumed she would wake up perhaps on the doorstep of her home, or some where in the woods. Instead she felt a wooden floor, meaning she was inside a house, but not her own. She tried to stretch, realizing how sore she was from either the floor or her transformation, but stopped when she heard a soft snore; she wasn’t alone. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. Thankfully the person was still asleep, curled in the same position she woke up in. Noticing his, and quickly her nudity, she got up to search the house for something to cover them up with, settling for a tunic and trousers the certainly belonged to the tall man on the floor. After some time cinching up the clothes as best as she could, she went back in the room to find the man sitting on the floor, the blanket she draped over him for decency’s sake wrapped around his lower body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, who did Kim wake up with? Find out next Monday when Chapter 11 comes out...if you haven't figured it out already.
> 
>  
> 
> In other news, I've not touched my other story at all, oops. I'm going to try to squeeze out a chapter from my imagination soon, sometime within the next two weeks.


	11. Lonesome on the Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim and the stranger return to Kim's home.

“I assume you’re the one I bit two moons ago,” he said, his voice rough from sleep, “Sorry, I try not to attack humans, but sometimes I can’t control it,” he shrugged. He stood up from the floor, fixing the blanket so it stayed around his waist before offering his hand in a handshake. “I’m Ross.”

“Kim,” she answered, returning the handshake. “Where are we, I mean I assume this is your house,” he nodded in agreement, “but where are we in terms of my home?” she asked. 

He thought out the distance before answering, “I live in the mountains, I’ve seen your smoke before, so I’d have to say no more than seven or eight miles.” He looked Kim over, chuckling to himself. “I bet I have something more fitting for us to wear. Once we change and eat, you must be starving just as I, we’ll head to your home. I feel I owe your...friend an apology.”

Ross turned and went to a chest at the foot of the bed, stretching his back as he moved. “Shame we didn’t make it the few feet to the bed, though of my many years here I’ve never managed to wake up in it after a full moon.” He kneeled down in front of the chest, opening it gingerly before searching through its contents. Kim peered in from over his shoulder, seeing mostly fabric but occasionally a book or a toy. After a couple of minutes, Ross pulled out a shirt and trousers and handed them to Kim. “These belonged to my nephew, he stayed with me a few years back. His family sent him my way after he got in trouble with the local authorities, but they didn’t know of my curse. I tried to get him to leave before the full moon, but he didn’t listen. It had been over a year since I had to stop myself from attacking a human, why I moved out here, but he had wandered outside for some reason and I didn’t stop myself.” He paused his story, looking into the chest for a moment before continuing. “At first I thought he may survive and join me, but I couldn’t realize in that state how fragile humans were. He...he probably died within minutes.” Kim didn’t know how to respond, so she just put a hand on his shoulder. Ross continued to stare into the chest, his hand absentmindedly kneading a shirt. “I suppose you’re the first person to hear that story. I’ve not had anyone to tell it to, nor who would understand.” He stood up from the chest, looking at Kim expectantly for a few seconds before his mouth decided to form the words. “Um, you can change in here, I’ll go out...I’d appreciate my clothes back,” he said, his hand nervously rubbing the back of his neck. Once Kim nodded in response, he went outside.

As she changed, Kim properly took in her surroundings. Ross had a humble cabin, bed in one end of the house, kitchen in the other, and a table to the side. Items were on the table and scattered here and there, reminding her of Duncan’s “organized mess” of a lab. A hearth sat mostly in the center of the space, a wall divided the living room from the bedroom, leaving the space between the hearth and the wall as an entrance to the bedroom. It was cozy, but very lonely. Kim wondered how Ross had managed living alone for such a long time without going insane.

The clothes fit surprisingly well on her, much less baggy than Ross’s. After running her fingers through her hair, for there was no comb in sight, Kim went to the door to let Ross back in. Once she opened the door, he looked at her approvingly. “They fit well,” he concluded, before trading places with her so he could change. Next to the oversized door, assumingly crafted for entrance while transformed, was a stump well worn from the weather and being sat upon. Kim sat on it, taking in the view created from the trees felled to build Ross’s cabin. It stretched for miles; Kim could see where the autumn forests ended and dark green forests began, even to the edge of the forest where the valley separated them from the village. It was breathtaking to see where she had lived the past few weeks in such a different perspective.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it,” Ross said, snapping Kim out of her daze and making her jump.

“Uh, yeah,” she stuttered, turning to him in the doorway. The clothes fit him much better than her, ever so slightly accenting his shoulder and upper arm muscles.

“Are you hungry? I’m going to make breakfast,” he said, walking back into the house and leaving the door open for her. She followed inside, shutting the door behind her. Ross was in the kitchen, scooping what looked like oats into a pan, then what she assumed was sugar and some spices, and placed the pan on the hearth. “Hope you like oatmeal, it’s pretty much the only breakfast meal I can make out here.”

Kim hadn’t seen any fields nearby, and surely he didn’t have any on the mountainside. “Where do you get the ingredients from?” Kim asked.

“About fifteen miles west of here roughly is a trading post. I normally trade skins I don’t use from hunting and doing jobs for merchants till I get everything I need for a few months, then head home. I try to mostly stick on stuff I can get or grow here, though items like oats and sugar and herbs and spices I have to get there,” he paused as he stirred the food in the pot. “I wish I could keep a cow or chickens up here for eggs and milk, but I don’t think they’d last long with us around,” he finished, winking at her.

“I didn’t know there was a post nearby, I’m sure Duncan would greatly appreciate a change in food,” she mused wondering what wares this trading post sold.

“Last time I was there, they were setting up a flour mill. That was almost two months ago, it’s probably up and running now. Soon that place will be a town I think, it’s always expanding every time I visit,” he concluded, grabbing the pot off of the hearth and dividing the contents into two wooden bowls. Reaching into another sack, Ross dished out some blueberries into both bowls, then stuck two spoons into the oatmeals and took them to the table.

“Thanks,” Kim said as they sat down. “I don’t think I’ve had a proper breakfast in months,” she said as she ate a spoonful. “This definitely beats the ‘breakfast stews’ that Duncan makes,” she praised after swallowing. Ross smiled, a faint blush creeping up on his face. Though Kim may not have meant much with the compliment, it meant a lot to Ross. Sure the merchants would thank him when he did tasks for them, but they never seemed as heartfelt as Kim’s did. She absolutely enjoyed his oatmeal, finishing it before he did.

They left his home a couple of hours after sunrise. Ross predicted they would arrive at her home by noon or earlier. Soon into the journey, they encountered the cliffs where Ross attacked Kim. She grew wary as they came to the edge, Ross concluding they needed to get down here rather than walk an hour out of the way. Ross went down first, able to reach a ledge with his height, and made it safely down. Kim, however, was too short to safely land on the few inch outcropping. “You’ll have to hang down and drop, and I’ll catch you,” Ross said from below. Kim looked down at him warily. “Don’t worry, I _will ___catch you.” She didn’t have any other options really, and Ross looked strong enough to catch her. With a deep breath, she lowered herself slowly off the edge, dangling like human, well not so human, banner. Once she stilled, Ross called up, “Ok, now let go, I’ll catch you.” She looked down to make sure she wouldn’t hit anything, then closed her eyes, and released her grip on the rock. Within seconds, she landed safely in his arms. He sat her down on the ground, looking her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt. “see, not too bad. That was the hardest part of the journey.”

“How will you get back up though?” she asked as they started walking again. 

“I’ll have to take the extra time to head north, I know the cliffs eventually taper off so I should be able to climb some of the shorter rocks,” he thought aloud. “I’ll just have to leave a bit earlier I suppose.” 

After two hours of talking and walking, Kim saw the familiar grey stone of her home peaking through the trees. She picked up her pace, eager to be back in the familiar environment. When she neared the building, she started calling for Duncan in case he was outside. “Kim?!” Duncan exclaimed as he sprinted around to the front. “Kim! Are you okay?” Without thinking he scooped her up into a hug, not even noticing Ross standing next to her, who was amused by the reunion. Duncan released her from the bear hug after a muffled “I’m fine”, and noticed Ross. “Who’s this?” he asked her. 

“I’m Ross,” he answered, offering his hand to Duncan, “You may remember me from a month and a day ago.” Duncan wanted to be mad, wanted to strangle Ross right there for what he did to Kim, but something stopped him. Noticing his eerie silence, Ross continued. “Last night Kim and I met, in wolf form the memories are very hazy, or non-existent, so I have no clue how it went, but this morning we woke up in my cabin, about eight miles from here.” Duncan noticed Kim’s garb, remembering how she tore her clothes last night as she changed. 

“Thanks for taking care of her, I suppose,” Duncan mumbled, still skeptical of Ross. 

“I’m truly sorry for last month’s events, I know from experience that words won’t help,” Ross apologized. Duncan wanted to give a nasty retort, but something in Ross’s gentle demeanour, stopped him. The poor soul looked sad, lonely even. 

“How long have you lived out here?” Duncan asked him. 

“A few years, about four or five, ever since I started transforming,” he answered. 

“Alone?” Duncan inquired to confirm his suspicions. Ross answered simply with a nod. He felt sorry for the man, more than mad at him now. Kim at least had him for support, but this man was shunned. Reminded by the dirt on his hands, a smile grew his lips. “Why don’t you stick around for awhile, I’ve got some fresh vegetables ready to pick.” Ross was shocked at the sudden invitation from the man he assumed would hate him. 

“Oh, um, I don’t want to intrude,” Ross stammered. 

“Nah, you got Kim back safely, join us,” Duncan replied. “I’m sure you have some interesting stories to tell as well.” Warmed by the heartfelt invitation, Ross relented. 

Once the vegetables were picked and the meal prepared, they settled in the main living area for Ross’s stories. Duncan could tell he was lonely; most of his stories centered around odd jobs and happenings while he made his routine visits to the apparently nearby trading post. A few hours before sunset, Ross bid them farewell so he could travel in the daylight. “You’re welcome back any time, Ross,” Kim said as they stood just outside the front door. He smiled warmly at them. 

“I hope our next encounter does not involve our blight next time,” he said, turning his head to look at the sun’s location in the sky. “Well, I must be off if I am to make it by dusk. Good day to you both,” he said with a nod of his head and a smile on his lips, then turned to make the journey back to his home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to write this chapter whilst working feverishly on an AP project, so I'm very happy I got it out on time.


	12. Redwick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim journey to the trading post.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, the size of the slips and strips of metal Duncan makes is like [a slip or strip of gold-pressed Latinum from Star Trek](http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Latinum) though the value is much higher in my universe than a slip of GPL in Deep Space Nine.

After hearing Ross’s stories of the nearby trading post, Duncan wanted to visit the next day. He spent the evening making slips and strips of metals to trade with, while Kim gathered some of the rarer and peculiar vegetables and fruits they had grown. They had some hides, but they were only from rabbits or squirrels; they hadn’t seen any larger animals nearby, but Ross assured them there were deer. Duncan figured they would have to work to get some items, so he made sure to pack enough stuff to last them a week.

The next morning they left a little after sunrise. If it was fifteen miles from Ross’s home, then it would be more like twenty miles for them. He hoped they would arrive before sundown; he didn’t want to be wandering in unfamiliar woods in the dark. Ross had advised them to head west until they found the cliffs, then skirt them and keep going west, so Duncan judged an angle that should take them where he hoped were the edge of the cliffs, then they wouldn’t spend too much time going north. Kim was a little skeptical about his directional skills, but he somehow had pointed them in the perfect direction. Once they passed the cliffs, they just needed to stay in the narrow valley between the mountains for some fifteen miles until it opened up to a plain, and the post. Simple enough, Duncan figured.

The trees started to change as they entered the valley. There were more evergreens than the other green forests nearby, but it was also spaced out, not densely packed.

As they stopped for lunch halfway through their journey, Kim spotted those elusive deer Ross had mentioned. It was quite a large herd, perhaps nine or more. Duncan wanted to get one, but he didn’t have a long range weapon, nor a way to store the meat, and he certainly wasn’t going to drag a couple hundred pounds of extra weight on his back. Perhaps the herd would move closer to home when they got back.

They arrived at the trading post as it started to become dusk. It was much larger than Duncan had imagined, looking more like a town than a collection of shacks. There was even an inn, a small one, but much better than camping outside. They dragged their weary bodies to the entrance, finding no one inside. A little bell on the doorknob altered someone to their presence, who responded with a faint “coming” somewhere down the hallway of rooms in front of them. The lobby itself was cozy; a little sitting room with a fireplace sat just to the left of the entrance, and a reception desk sat directly opposite it. Duncan had never seen such a “modern” building as this rundown inn, with electric lights and a machine sat up on the desk. Kim watched Duncan take in the surroundings with amusement until a little old lady came around the corner of the hallway. “How can I help you?” she asked.

Kim was used to inns from travelling with her father, so he answered for them. “We need two beds,” The lady went behind the counter, but instead of using the computer on the desk, she opened an old looking book. She glanced back up at Duncan and Kim, before looking back down at the book again.

“I have two small rooms available for twenty copper a piece, or one medium room with two beds for seventeen copper,” she stated, looking back up at the pair.

“I’m unfamiliar with your currency,” Duncan started, pausing to pull his pack off his back and get some slips of copper out, “but I do have copper. How much is this equivalent to?” he asked, holding up six slips. She studied the pieces in his hand, then made her decision.

“That will cover the one medium room for a week, or the two separate rooms for five days,” she answered.

“Perfect,” Kim said. “We’ll take the one room please.” Duncan handed her the slips and she had him sign the book before handing him the key.

“Room eight, go down the corner and it’s on your left,” the lady said. “Have a nice evening.”

“Thank you, good evening ma’am,” Duncan said as he put his pack back on, then walked down the hallway. The room was basic, but cozy. Duncan realized how tired he was when he plopped down on the bed, instantly closing his eyes. However, Kim didn’t let him rest for long.

“Hey, get up. I’m hungry. Let’s ask the lady where we can get some food,” she said, tapping him repeatedly on the arm to annoy him out of sleep. He batted her hand away as he sat up.

“Oh quit it. I’m up, and I’m just as hungry as you,” he answered, stifling a yawn. After cleaning up, they made their way back to the front, finding the innkeeper in the sitting room sewing something. “Excuse me ma'am, do you know of any places we could get some dinner?” Duncan asked. 

“Oh, yes, down the road a bit is Simon’s Tavern,” she glanced at a clock on top of the fireplace, “he should be open for a couple more hours.”

“Thanks, again,” Duncan said as they left to find the tavern. Dusk was fading quickly into night as they stepped out on the quiet street. There were some people out, all heading in the same direction, to Simon’s Tavern, with a large lit sign pointing the way. As they neared, they could hear music and people talking through the poorly insulated walls. “Seems like this is where all the locals go,” Duncan said to no one in particular. He seemed to have acclimated to the modernish town, most likely thanks to all the machines back home and his open mindedness.

It was a very homely tavern, quite packed with locals. A short but robust man with a ginger beard greeted them as they walked in. “Welcome to my tavern, I don’t recognize you two, where ya from?” Duncan gathered this man must be Simon, the owner.

“We’re from the east, through the valley,” Duncan answered.

“I think that Ross fellow who visits every few months lives out there. Have you met him?” Simon asked.

“Yes, actually. He told us about this trading post, so we came to visit and get some supplies,” Duncan answered. “I’m Duncan, this is Kim,” he said, motioning to her. She was staring at the man behind the bar with a mix of curiosity and wariness. Duncan elbowed her softly to get her to greet Simon.

“If you haven’t guessed, I’m Simon,” he responded, noticing Kim’s previous gaze he continued, “the man behind the counter is Xephos, though he goes by Lewis. He helps me run this place.” As Simon said the man’s name, Duncan looked at Lewis, noticing something ever so off about him, though he couldn’t quite say what. “If you live anywhere near Ross, I bet you’ve been travelling all day,” he said, leading them to a table. “Tonight’s meals are on the menu, though I’d hurry up as the Kitchen closes soon,” he continued, handing them a piece of paper that had been sealed. Duncan saw the prices listed in copper, so he took out two slips. After glancing at the three options, Duncan opted for the “breakfast for dinner”, an omelette with chicken and vegetables, and a pint of ale Simon recommended. Kim chose a pasta dish, she described it to Duncan as spicy vegetables, and a drink she called grape soda. Once they placed their order, Duncan inquired about the price.

“Does this cover the meal?” he asked, holding up the slips.

“Oh, yes, in fact, I’ll bring you change back, but for future reference, most restaurants take your payment after you finish your meal,” Simon answered as if this wasn’t the first time it had happened. “I’ll get your orders into the kitchen, and be back with your drinks,” he said, walking back to the bar. After taking in the atmosphere for a minute, Kim broke the silence at the table.

“Now before you drink your drink, you need to try my drink,” she said, a mischievous smile on her lips.

“I’ve never heard of it before, what is it?” he asked.

“You’ll see in a second, it’s going to blow your mind,” she said, watching Simon make his way to their table.

“Here is your ale, and your grape soda,” he started, placing the drinks on the table. “Your food will be out soon,” he continued, “just wave me over if you need anything.”

“Your drink bubbles?” Duncan half-asked, half-stated once Simon had walked off.

“Yup, try it,” she said, shoving the glass gently towards him. He looked at it for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders and taking a rather large sip. He was not prepared for the weird sensation that is carbonated soda, or the grape flavor, since he hadn’t had a grape in his life. He swallowed the liquid in his mouth as he made a face.

“How do you drink that?” he asked, taking a swig of his ale to get rid of the flavor, but ended up making a weird grape/ale mixture instead. Kim looked a little hurt he hadn’t liked her favorite drink.

“I could say the same about your ale,” she retorted, crinkling up her nose in mock disgust. 

“How about we stick to our own drinks?” Duncan responded, taking another swig of ale as Kim drank her soda. As she sat the glass down, her eyes wandered back to the man behind the bar, with that same wariness. “Do you know him?” Duncan asked.

“No, I’ve never seen him before, but something about him is familiar. He reminds me of another man I met years ago when travelling with my father,” she said, as if recalling a memory. “He’s definitely not from here, that’s for sure. Maybe not even this planet.” Duncan looked at her quizzically at this sudden theory of the barman.

“What, you think he’s an alien?” he asked, a smile forming on his face. “My village had an old legend of a man who came from the sky, maybe that’s what scared them away from technology.” She suddenly looked back to Duncan, he figured Lewis had looked over at her. After a couple of minutes, Simon brought their meals to the table.

“Here is the omelette, and here is your noodles,” Simon said as he sat the plate and bowl down. “Enjoy your meals.”

After they finished their meals, Duncan and Kim made their way to the bar to pay. “How long are you staying in Redwick?” Simon asked as he counted out change.

“About a week,” Duncan answered. “Gonna try and gather some supplies before we head back home.”

“Then I bet we’ll see you around,” Simon said. “If you need jobs, there’s a bulletin board outside town hall, just a few buildings down. I’d check it in the morning.”

“Thanks, we’ll keep that in mind. Have a good night,” Duncan said.

“A good night’s rest to you both,” Simon said as they left the tavern. After the short walk back to the inn, it was quite easy for them to fall asleep, dreaming of the goodies they may find the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon I will finish the next chapter for "Better than Expected", hopefully before this week ends. Keep checking Ao3, or follow my [ tumblr](adapted-batteries.tumblr.com) to know when I post it.


	13. Work and Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim start working in Redwick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, things came up and my poor writing schedule took a dent. I'm gonna do better now, and keep up the Monday updates.
> 
> To make up for my lateness, here is sketches of [ a steamcart and Redwick Town Hall ](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com/post/125271088417/here-is-my-poorly-drawn-rendition-of-what-a) I did while writing.

Duncan and Kim woke up to the sounds of Redwick, peculiar metal clanking, chattering of people, and barking of dogs.The sun had risen above the mountains, pouring into the small window at just the right angle to stretch over both of their beds. Duncan was quite sore from traveling, but these new sounds sparked his curiosity enough to get him out of bed. Normally Kim was the first up, but somehow he managed to wake up before her. Unable to wait any longer, he went to Kim's bed and gently shook her. "Come on Kim, let's go explore! Wake up!" he said whilst shaking her. Within a minute she roused from her sleep.

"Fine, fine, I'm up," she yawned, sitting up in the bed and stretching her arms.

Once they were both ready for the day, they set out on the street. Kim watched Duncan's first encounter with a steamcart as they stepped outside. The copper and wood contraption was parked just outside the inn, making a delivery to the shop next door, a tool shop of sorts. Duncan observed it like a scientist observing a new species, restraining himself from tearing the machine apart to see its inner workings. The vehicle owner came out of the shop to find Duncan on his back, looking at the undercarriage while Kim stood a distance away, embarrassed by his intrusive tinkering. The owner didn't seem mad, just quite confused why some kid was under his vehicle. He saw Kim standing there and looked at her for an explanation. "He's never seen a steamcart before," she said. "Duncan, get out from under this man's cart." At the mention of the owner, Duncan scrambled out from under the vehicle, avoiding hitting his head on the front bumper.

"Sorry, sir, I was just looking, I didn't touch anything," he stammered, spewing excuses and apologies to avoid the owner's non-existent wrath, who by now was smiling from this peculiar situation. 

"It's alright son," the man said. "I felt just like you a couple of weeks ago when the first one arrived in town. Such amazing machines," he said, looking at his vehicle with pride. "If you wanna learn more about them, you can visit Chris's shop, a block past town hall. He fixes and builds them."

"I think I will," Duncan responded. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem, you two have a wonderful morning," the man said as he climbed behind the wheel of the cart and proceeded to drive away. Duncan was already dragging Kim down the street, in the general direction of the mechanic's shop.

"Oi," she spat, trying to free her wrist from his grasp, "let go, we have to check the town hall board for jobs first, then we can go look at the shop." He let go of her wrist but started walking even faster. "Hey, slow down, I've got smaller legs than you." Thanks to Duncan's pace, they reached the town hall in minutes. It was a pretty impressive building, made of stone and brick, unlike most of the shops nearby that used brick only as decoration. It was a building made to last, towering over the tallest two story shops with what looked like four floors. It had many windows, and quite a lot of people going in and out of its doors. As they neared the entrance where the bulletin board was located, Kim saw signs indicating what was inside. The municipal building housed the law enforcement and jail, school, meeting hall/courtroom, offices, and the town's fire department. Students seemed to be gathered in the town hall's courtyard, little patches of grass separated by a path to the door.

Bulletin board itself was covered in papers some advertising events some for help. Kim saw several jobs they could do, some at the flour mill, lumber mill, and blacksmith Duncan could do, while she earned money for supplies helping the general store owner or a few other shops in town. Duncan was looking at the board, but she could tell he really just wanted to go to the mechanic. "You could probably work at the flour mill," she started, trying to get him to concentrate on the jobs listed.

"Hmm, yeah, probably," he paused to actually glance at the board and read. "Maybe the mechanic will need help."

"But you don't know how to build an engine," Kim responded. Duncan just shrugged, not taking his eyes off the board.

"There's a first time for everything, and you know I can figure out machines," Duncan replied. Kim realized she wasn't going to get anything else productive out of him until they visited the mechanic, so she just gave in.

"Fine. Let's go to the mechanic," she sighed. His face lit up like a child on Christmas morning and he was off down the road to the mechanic. Kim wasn't in the mood to speed walk, so she took her time, looking in shop windows as she passed them. The tack shop and a clothing boutique both looked promising for her, older owners always needed young help. She still needed to check out the general store not only for prices but for a job as well. Kim wondered how they would transport the heavy sacks of flour, oats, and sugar; the route was fairly flat, but it took all day to travel. Perhaps they could get a cart or even a steamcart, or perhaps a horse.

As Kim neared the workshop, she could already hear Duncan talking to someone. She stepped into the garage to find Duncan talking to a shorter man with dark brown hair. His clothes and hands were smudged with grease, but his face seemed oddly clean for his profession. The man noticed Kim walk in and greeted her. "Hello, you must be Duncan's friend. I'm Chris Trott," he nodded, opting to not shake with his dirty hands.

"I'm Kim, nice to meet you," she responded, nodding back.

"Your friend here seems to be quite the tinkerer, he'd make a great apprentice," Chris stated. Kim saw Duncan's face light up, but before he could get his hopes up she reminded him of why they were here.

"Well we need to get supplies first," she started, looking at Duncan, "so we'll probably be doing odd jobs around to get what we need."

“Well I don’t want to keep you two from your task, though if you want to help me with this steamcart I could pay you for your work,” Chris said as he looked to Duncan. Conflicted, Duncan looked to Kim who relented with a nod. “Great. It shouldn’t take all day, we’ll probably be done by noon.”

“I’ll find something in town to do then,” Kim responded, “When you’re done you can find me at one of the shops or at our room.”

“Sounds good, I’ll see you later, Kim,” Duncan confirmed, then turned to Chris to begin work. Kim slipped out of the garage as the two started tinkering with the machine in the bay.

Months of tinkering with the machines at home had certainly paid off. After Chris explained the basic principles of the steamcart, they set about repairing and replacing broken or worn pipes and valves. After a couple of hours of checking and repairing pipes, Chris showed him how to replace a piston in the engine block. Duncan was thrilled with the mechanical work, but was even more excited when chris announced a test drive to make sure everything was all good. Once the boiler produced enough steam pressure, Chris drove the around the workshop a few times, parking outside of the garage. “I’ll ring Tom to let him know I’m done,” Chris stated as they went into his office attached to the garage.

“Ring?” Duncan asked, confused by the term.

“I’ll call him...you don’t know what a telephone is, do you?” Chris inquired, which Duncan responded with a shake of his head. He walked over to the box on the wall, gesturing to it like a tour guide. “This is a telephone, it transmits my voice through a wire to another receiver. Each phone has a number, which I dial here on this keypad.” Duncan was amazed by this technology, perhaps even more than the vehicle just outside. Once Chris called Tom, he looked at the clock on the desk. “Well, it’s just after noon, why don’t you take lunch and go find your friend?” Chris suggested. “You can come back if you want, but you’ll probably get better pay at the mills. Speaking of pay,” Chris paused to open a drawer in the desk, “I can’t do a whole lot, but here’s fifteen copper for your help.”

“Thanks,” Duncan replied, putting the coins in his pocket. “In case I don’t come back, it was nice working with you. I’ll try to stop by before we leave,” he concluded as he walked to the door.

“It was nice working with you too, Duncan. You’ve got a lot of potential,” Chris responded. With a nod, Duncan left his office and started back to most of the shops, hoping to find Kim being as productive as he was.

 

While Duncan was tinkering, Kim had wandered back down to the shops that had caught her eye. The tack shop had no work for her today, though the owner said he could use a hand in a couple of days when a shipment arrived, so she continued to the general store just two doors down. Inside the shop, Kim was greeted by a small barn owl swooping down on a mouse. “There dad, she got it,” a voice said. A girl with blonde hair who looked a few years older than her came around the shelf. “Hello,” the girl said. The owl flew into a back room, taking the mouse with it. “Most shops have a cat, but I had a pet owl. I’m Hannah.”

“Kim,” she responded. Suddenly, Hannah seemed to snap into her customer service persona.

“Is there anything you’re looking for?” she asked.

“Actually I was stopping by to see if you needed any temporary help,” Kim answered.

“You looking for a job?” a man’s voice rang from the back room. A couple seconds later, a middle aged man came from the room, wiping his hands on an oil smudged apron. “We could use the help, as long as you can clean and make deliveries in town. How long can you work?”

“I’m in town for at least the next six days. I live with a friend about fifteen miles east of here and we need some supplies. I think he’s going to try to find work at one of the mills,” Kim answered.

“What all are you needing?” the man asked.

“Mostly food items, like oats, flour, sugar, spices things to stock us for a couple of months,” Kim said, looking around the store to think of items. The man thought for a bit before responding, as if he was calculating wages in his head.

“I think we can come to an agreement, provided your friend makes some money as well,” the man concluded.

“Thank you, Mr…” Kim started, realizing she didn’t know their name.

“You can call me Mr. Rutherford, and you’ve already met Hannah,” he said, placing a semi-clean hand on her shoulder. “If you don’t mind, you can start now, I’ve got a delivery for Mrs. Linton but I need to fix our water pump,” he gestured with his dirty hands to the back room.

“I’m more than happy to start,” Kim replied. Once Mr. Rutherford gave her directions, Kim was off making her first delivery. Redwick was quite easy to navigate around; the town hall was the center of town, and roads spoked from the main street like a grid. Within an hour, Kim made her first successful delivery and was back at the store to do whatever Mr. Rutherford needed. He was still fixing the pump, so he had her dust and clean while Hannah managed the counter. It was fairly busy before noon, locals came in to get all sorts of items. She wanted to chat with Hannah, but between her sweeping and Hannah being busy with customers, there wasn't much down time to talk. By noon, things had slowed down a bit, letting the two girls chat at the front counter while waiting for customers. Kim had been looking out the window right as Duncan walk by the shop, so she caught him before he wandered back to the inn and introduced him to Hannah and her father.

“ I bet they'll make you a good deal at the flour mill if you work there, let you take a sack or two depending on how much you help. Mr. Littlewood’s a reasonable man,” Mr. Rutherford stated as they all munched on sandwiches for lunch, courtesy of Mr. Rutherford.

“Getting the items is one thing, but we need a way to transport the items back. Kim and I definitely can’t carry everything,” Duncan said.

“Mr. Ward was talking about selling that old colt he has. He says he can’t tame it, that its got a bad temper, but I think it's just how he treats it,” Hannah thought aloud.

“But how could we afford a horse and cart?” Kim asked, primarily to Duncan.

“I’ve still got some metal left I could sell,” Duncan responded.

“I bet Mr. Ward would make a good deal for you,” said Mr. Rutherford. “He’s been complaining about that horse for months.”

“Where could we get a cart?” Kim asked.

“By the lumber mill is a carpenter's shop. He regularly takes scrap wood to make things, he could probably whip up a cart for cheap, have it done by the time you leave,” Mr. Rutherford said. “The blacksmith could trade you coppers for the metals you have.”

With the suggestions from Mr. Rutherford, after lunch Duncan set about to the carpenter once he retrieved some metal and exchanged it for a couple hundred copper. Mr. Dean was a resourceful craftsman, he was determined to make them a cheap but sturdy cart for only seventy five copper. After paying Mr. Dean, Duncan proceed to the nearby flour mill, and talked with Mr. Littlewood about a temporary job, securing pay for the next six days and a twenty pound sack of flour. With their lack of eggs and milk, bread making would prove difficult, so Duncan wanted to same money for more versatile items like sugar and oats.

Kim spent the rest of the day at the general store, while Duncan worked at the mill. They had dinner once again at Simon’s Tavern, chatting with new acquaintances including Chris the Mechanic. Eventually they retired for the night; sleep came quickly and easily after both of their hard day’s work.


	14. Do What You Want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim finish their work for supplies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am quite sorry for any of you who read last chapter before I had fixed it, I didn't have a chance to proofread in my haste to upload. 
> 
> I will be taking a week off posting on this story, meaning the next chapter will be posted on August 17th; I need the time to work on school work and get ready for school starting. The break will hopefully let me get a bit ahead in this story, or at least finish my school work to have time to write.

The next couple of days were long and tiresome, but fruitful. Duncan had already earned almost two hundred coppers, enough to buy a barrel of oats and over a quarter of the horse. Though he would much rather work with Chris, he obediently worked at the flour mill to earn the money they needed. He did have a plan to get back there; as long as he worked hard and made enough to cover the 350 copper for Mr. Ward's ill-tempered horse before they left, he would stop his work at the mill and go to Chris. He'd have to bargain with Mr. Littlewood to get the sack of flour since he'd be cutting his work short by two days, but perhaps he could fix something or pay him the difference. Duncan didn't want to dip into his reserve money, saved for food and other items, but his need to tinker was almost strong enough to do it.

Kim felt much more loyal to her current job. She had become friends with Hannah, a nice change from constantly living with only Duncan. She relished the female r & r as she worked, tidying shelves and cleaning windows. The deliveries she went on were just as enjoyable. She could explore Redwick and meet new people, all while getting paid. The deliveries reminded her of travelling with her father, which now seemed a distant memory in light of the past month and a half's events. She had never been to Redwick before now, so there probably wasn't any information regarding her father to be found here. Perhaps one day they would travel past Redwick, find a town or city she had been to, or even the one she last visited to find any information on her father. The town they had been leaving, Wolfden, had to be a couple of week's travel from their home, a distance she'd rather not travel again on foot. It would be sometime later before they could make that trek.

Three days before they were to leave, Duncan had a quite productive chat with Mr. Littlewood, effectively letting him work with Chris for the last two days of their stay and still get the flour. A part of him though about keeping Kim in the dark since he wasn't going to make much money, but he knew he needed to be truthful. That night as they relaxed in their room, Duncan brought up his actions. "I've earned enough money to cover oats and a horse now."

"Good," Kim responded, but she looked over at him, seeing his face and knowing he wasn't saying something on his mind. "What did you do?"

"I...I may have told Mr. Littlewood that I was going to work with Chris, don't worry we still get the sack of flour," Duncan answered, looking at Kim warily. Kim was too tired to be angry.

"Do we still have some metal left?" was all she asked.

"Yeah some iron and tin. Don't worry, it should cover everything we need," Duncan answered.

"Ok," Kim said as she laid down on her bed.

"Wait, so you're not mad or anything?" Duncan queried.

"No, I mean you can chose what you want to do, you're a competent human being. I know you liked working with Chris, and you made sure to get the money for the horse and get the flour," she said pausing to yawn. "There's no reason for me to tell you no, but what I will tell you to do is go to sleep, because I'm tired and we both need rest." Duncan chuckled at the statement as Kim snuggled into her bed.

"Now that I can do," Duncan yawned to himself. He leaned over to the bedside table that sat between the two beds and switched off the lamp, then snuggled into his own bed.

The next day Duncan was giddy with excitement as he made his way to the mechanic’s shop. He walked with Kim the short distance to the general store before speeding up his pace to almost a jog. When he arrived, he found Chris under a raised steamcart, working on something underneath. Chris had heard his footsteps, and called out from under the vehicle. “Hello, I’ll be with you in just a moment,” he said, accompanied with loud clanking as he tinkered. A few moments later Chris rolled from under the steamcart and stood up. “Duncan, it’s nice to see you.”

“I came to see if you need help, we’ve earned enough money for what we need but we’re still in town for a couple of days,” Duncan said as he stepped further into the garage.

“I could definitely use some help, in fact I’m currently working on repairing an axle right now,” Chris answered. Duncan was more than happy to jump straight into work, quickly losing himself in tinkering with Chris. They didn't talk much, but there was a serene comfortableness in the silence from both men. What Duncan didn't know, nor was Chris going to reveal to him, was that this interaction was the most social Chris had been in months, if not years. Though the people of Redwick were nice, he wasn't the best at making friends. Duncan didn't even seem to notice his awkwardness, something Chris needed to be comfortable. By lunch, as Duncan munched on some jerky and Chris on a sandwich, they were chatting like old friends. Duncan had recounted his story so far, from tinkering as a child all the way up to when they left for Redwick. “So there are werewolves nearby?” Chris said, a little nervous with other creatures near him.

“Well we live over fifteen miles away, I don’t think either would make their way all the way to Redwick,” Duncan assured him. He was curious as to why Chris was so nervous about them, he must have had an encounter with one before. There was no need to pry, Duncan concluded.

“Good,” Chris responded, visibly relaxing. The conversation ended there, the two men getting back to work and in their elements which called for that familiar silence. They finished repairing the axle by mid-afternoon. Chris decided to surprise Duncan by asking him if he wanted to try driving. 

“Really, you’re gonna let me drive?” Duncan asked out of surprise.

“Yeah, I mean you should learn to operate what you’ve helped fix,” Chris answered. He knew it would be difficult for him the first time, but the boy had been very helpful, he deserved the fun.

Sure enough, Duncan struggled with switching gears, so Chris let him settle on a slow first gear ride around the block a couple of times before taking the wheel himself to really test the vehicle. Fortunately, Duncan didn't seem too distraught at his difficulties driving; Chris actually wished he had more time to properly teach him. These feelings Duncan brought out in him certainly confused Chris at first. It had been a very long time since he felt this type of a connection from anyone, someone who genuinely liked him and didn't care about his flaws. Of course, Duncan had no clue that Chris was a runaway selkie, a failure in his previous life, and Chris had no intentions of telling him that either. However, Duncan’s easygoing attitude about werewolves would have probably made him less aversive to Chris revealing his true nature. But he didn't want to take the risk of losing a friend the night before Duncan and Kim left for who knows how long.

Fortunately, when Mr. Dunn picked up his newly repaired steamcart, he paid his balance as well. Chris paid Duncan for his labor, giving him a measly fifty copper, probably nothing compared to what the mills could pay him, but Duncan didn't seem to mind at all. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Chris,” Duncan called out as he walked out of the garage that evening. And sure enough, the lad was back to help the next day.

When Duncan arrived, there wasn't a vehicle to work on, so Chris asked if he had any errands he needed to run instead. “Actually, yeah, I do,” Duncan answered as they sat in Chris’s office.

“Why don’t you go run those, then come back. Hopefully someone will need a repair by then,” Chris suggested. Duncan immediately complied, setting off to purchase the horse, get the tack, and exchange the last of the metal so Kim could purchase what all they needed for food. The horse was not as ill tempered as Mr. Ward claimed, taking to Duncan as if it had known him for years. Tomorrow would be busy as Duncan picked up the horse from Mr. Ward’s ranch few miles outside town, got it over to the carpenter and hooked up, then load of the cart with supplies they purchased. He would have even more work when they get home; Kim wanted him to convert one of the empty add-on rooms to a stable so the horse will be safe during full moons. The extra bit of running errands today would at least take off some stress for tomorrow.

When Duncan arrived back at the workshop about two hours later, there was a steamcart in the bay. Chris wasn't working on it at the moment, but he could hear voices coming from the office. A few moments later, the man who owned the steamcart Duncan had examined on their first day in Redwick came out of the office, an exasperated look on his face. “I’ll be back around two to pick it up,” the man said as he left the garage. Once he was out of earshot, Duncan inquired what was wrong.

“He snapped a wheel on a rut,” Chris answered, walking around to the left side front wheel. “These just aren’t made for dirt roads, at least uneven ones thanks to horse drawn carts." As Duncan followed him around the vehicle, he saw the nasty split in the wood wheel. Once they raise the car, replacing a wheel was no problem. It certainly didn't take three hours; he wondered why the man wouldn't be coming until then. His contemplation was cut short as another steam cart was pushed it up to the building. The rest of the day was spent repairing a fracture in its boiler tank.

As the sun started to set, Duncan said his goodbyes to Chris. “I don’t know when I’ll come back here, perhaps a couple of months.”

“I can’t promise I’ll still be here,” Chris said as they stood outside the garage. “I tend to move around quite a bit.”

“Well, in case we don’t see each other again, it was great working with you,” Duncan responded, shaking Chris’s hand.

“Likewise, have a safe trip back,” Chris said, waving as Duncan walked back to the inn.

 

The next day was very busy. Duncan and Kim were up and moving at sunrise, collecting the horse and cart and the items as quick as possible. Kim was happy with their selection of goods: a barrel of oats, a sack of flour and sugar, foreign spices like cinnamon and vanilla extract, soap, and more. They were out of town by 10 a.m., giving them ten hours to get home by sundown. The horse was a bit stubborn at first, but a steady reward of carrots helped them make quick time.

They made it home just before 8 p.m.; the sun was already below the trees, but there was just enough daylight left to unload the goods. They used some spare rope to make a lead for the horse, tying him to a low tree branch with ample room to graze and get water from a bucket Kim filled. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of his renovation to the empty room, but for now Duncan was content to sink into the familiar warmth of his bed after a long day's travel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't follow me on Tumblr, or who recently did, I write this story in a [ little notebook ](http://tmblr.co/ZputNs1ojl6Se) which I've actually filled up 3/4 of it. I want to keep this story just in this notebook, so within a few chapters, this story will end. But don't worry, I will start posting a spin off based loosely in this AU I've created. It will focus on the Hat's adventures through this setting of sorts. Check out my [ tumblr](adapted-batteries.tumblr.com) as I post updates on stories I'm working on, plus a bunch of yogscast and nerdy stuff.


	15. Who's There?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan gets on building while Kim continues searching for the cure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, there is a somewhat graphic dream towards the end of this chapter. I don't describe it in too much detail, but your imagination may fill in what I don't say.

Rest was keen to keep Duncan from his work, but Kim wasn’t going to let that happen. “Hey, get up,” she said with a shove, the usual way she woke him up most days. He verified his awakeness with a groan, laying still a few moments longer before he sat up in bed, stretching his arms with a yawn. His first task was to cut down enough trees to make a suitable stable doors, wide enough and tall enough to admit both the horse and the cart. Then he’d have to make new hinges and a lock, plus more for the stall door as well. It was going to take a while, but at least while he worked on the interior, the horse could be in the empty room. Once Duncan finished the stables, he’d set about fencing in a couple of acres for the horse to graze which would take more time as well.

It took most of the day to cut down trees for the doors and walls. Duncan made sure to chop down trees where he would eventually fence in so grass could start growing. The machines in the building made cutting the logs into planks a breeze, giving him the evening to start making hinges. That evening he was definitely tired, ready to collapse in his bed, but his mind kept churning over things he had ignored. They were no closer to a cure than when they left, and his new project gave him less time to do research. He knew there was a cure, but it seemed so far away, so distant from his current level in the craft. Kim was a bit further than him, but would that lead even help? She spent the day working on it, but got nowhere it had seemed. At this rate, it would be years before they found the cure. These negative thoughts plagued Duncan well into the night, before he settled into a dreamless sleep.

 

Duncan was well into building the fence when Kim came running to him a week later. He had taken a break while digging a hole for a fence post, glancing towards the house to see Kim sprinting at him holding a book up. He was some distance away from the house now, about two hundred feet, but Kim covered it like it was nothing. “Duncan! Duncan guess what!?” she yelled once she was within a few yards of him. Now that she was closer, he saw the book she was holding, the red leather that concealed the cure from them with its ever changing words. _She must have made progress to come running to me_ , Duncan thought. “What,” He deadpanned, partially because he didn’t want to get his hopes up and he was tired.

“I just discovered a potion that says it is a requirement for wolfsbane,” she squealed.

“What’s wolfsbane?” he asked out of curiosity.

“Well, If the name suggests anything, it could be the cure we’re looking for!” she answered, looking giddily into the book.

“How far away are you from making this wolfsbane?” Duncan inquired. He had a feeling this substance was very hard to make. Kim looking intently at the book for a few moments before looking back up at him. 

“I don’t know, some of these next potions are hard, it will take some time,” she said, much more relaxed about the situation than he was. Why did she seem to care so little about her condition? Duncan couldn’t ponder that question for long as another popped into his mind. Why did he care so much about it? She wasn’t going to die, and he was safe inside. Plus, it only happened once a month so why was he so angsty about it all? He didn’t want to burden Kim with his thoughts, knowing she would say the same thing as she did when he worked vainly for a cure last month.

“Well keep up the good work, we’re getting close,” he finally responded. Kim must have heard the distraction in his voice, and took the hint to leave.

“I’ll call you in when dinner’s ready, probably a couple of hours,” she said, and walked back to their home, a little less bounce in her step.

He felt bad for letting his anxiety sadden her, at least that’s what he perceived. He tried to push the thoughts from his mind while he worked, but within a few minutes they were back. “Why am I so concerned?” Duncan asked the wind. “I’ve got no real reason to be so afraid, so why am I?” A soft breeze rustled the leaves in a nearby tree in reply to Duncan’s questions. He vented his frustration a little by thrusting the post down into the hole harder than necessary, but his thoughts still boiled in his mind. “Did they really engrave a fear of the unknown into me? A fear of the different? I can’t see another explanation.” His mind quieted some until he started to dig the next hole. “Why am I so protective of Kim? I’ve only known her a month and a half, yet I’m concerned for her as if she was family.” A stronger rustling of leaves, combined with the wind on his face, paused his train of thought. He looked up at the sky, lacking any indication that a storm was coming. “I suppose she’s the closest thing I have to family now,” he mused, pulling himself back to his thoughts. Before he could continue his mental evaluation, a light breeze blew on his neck, sending shivers down his spine. He was facing the wind, meaning something else had to have caused that breeze. He turned around to see nothing but some tree stumps and forest behind him. He shrugged it off as exhaustion, until it happened again, no culprit visible for the awry wind.

“Duncan! Dinner’s ready!” Kim called, making him drop his shovel.

“You’re so paranoid,” Duncan chided himself before calling to Kim. “OK, I’m coming!” As he gathered his tools and set back to the house, that same breeze tickled the back of his neck. He turned around instinctively again to find nothing behind him. “Is someone there?” Duncan asked the air before he could chide himself. There was no verbal response, but that now familiar breeze touched his face in response, feeling almost like the shape of a hand. Duncan was thoroughly creeped out now, backing up towards the house. “W...Who...Who’s there?” he stuttered. Again there wasn’t a voice, but this time the wind whistled past his ear, making an eerie moan. A faint curiosity in him wanted to communicate with this...this thing...but it was quickly overpowered by the fear in his veins. he turned in a quick circle and hastily made his way back to the safety of stone walls and Kim’s company.

Once he put his tools down by the door, he made his way to the kitchen, the smell of stew calming him down a bit. Kim had her back to the door as she stirred the meal on the stove, but heard his shuffling. “Hey Duncan,” she said, turning to face him. “You alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

“I’m fine, just tired,” Duncan responded, deciding to dismiss the sentient breeze as nothing more than his overactive imagination.

“Well I hope you’re hungry, this stew’s been simmering for four hours now,” Kim said. The savory scent of the stew reminded Duncan of his hunger, letting him forget about the creepy wind for a while.

“So, did you get any farther?” he asked her as he sat down at the table.

“Not really,” she answered as she dished the stew into two bowls. “It took several tries to get that one potion right, the one required for wolfsbane. The next part that I could read required some flower I’ve not heard of, a belladonna. I won’t be able to progress until I find one of these.” She brought the bowls to the table and took her usual seat across from him. She must have sensed the worry building in him at this news, regardless of how much effort he put into hiding it. “It’s gonna be alright, Duncan. We’ll find the cure eventually.” He tried to put on a brave face, even if her words did nothing to console him. “Now eat your stew,” she commanded, setting an example by eating a spoonful from her own bowl.

By that night, Duncan had put the weird experience in the field out of his mind. Instead, his mind focused on his anxiety, keeping him away from the sleep he desired. His thoughts, influenced by his exhaustion, started scaring him, churning over scenarios where Kim attacked him. One in particular kept happening again over and over in his dozing dreams. They were eating dinner when suddenly Kim transformed in the house. She would pounce him, biting deep into his leg and drag him outside, releasing the grip to let out a terrible howl. Within minutes, Ross in his werewolf form would come out of the forest, and bite his unharmed leg exactly as Kim did. She would bite his leg again, and play tug-o-war with Ross until his mind restarted the scenario. This happened several times before a hand gripped his arm, shaking him out of sleep.

“Hey, Duncan, wake up. It’s ok, it’s only a dream,” a familiar, comforting voice cooed. He shot up in his sweat soaked bed to see Kim standing next to him. “It was only a dream,” she assured, gently stroking his arm to calm him down. Once he caught his breath, Kim asked, “Do you want to talk about it?” Duncan just shook his head in response. “I’m gonna go back to bed then. Have a good night’s sleep.”

Duncan was far from going back to sleep, so once Kim got back in her bed and she fell asleep, he snuck carefully out of the room and made his way outside. It must have been some time past midnight, based on the stars’ positions, he gathered. It was cool, a slight breeze chilling the sweat on his face. He took in what little he could make of his surroundings in the moonlight, calming himself with the steady chirp of crickets. As he turned to head back inside, that creepy breeze blew on his face, whistling in his ear. This time the sound was different, as if it was meant to console him. It was considerably less scary than the nightmare, but when his brain picked up the word in the moan, his hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. “Saaaafe,” the wind moaned to him once again. The word was unmistakable now. Instincts kicked in and he fled inside, only just remembering to not slam the door shut. He padded his way quickly to the comfort of his bed, pulling the blanket over his head like a scared child. If he wasn’t so exhausted, he would have chided himself for being so childish, but instead he willed himself to fall asleep, favoring the fictional dreams over the apparently real ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As my senior year starts in three days for me, I don't think I'll be able to keep up with weekly posting. Perhaps I'll try uploading every two weeks until I finish this story. I will work out some sort of schedule to go by soon. If you want status updates about my and writing and such, check out my [ Tumblr ](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com) where I post updates and thoughts.


	16. Talking to the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next full moon has arrived, but Duncan has a different experience than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually managed to post this on Monday, writing a good third of this chapter in class and during my long lunch. I would like to post chapter 17 in two weeks (September 14th) but again I cannot guarantee that. If you want to know how I'm doing while writing, follow me on [ tumblr](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com) where I post when I have news about my stories, and my thoughts and interests.

The ghost didn’t seem to be coming back anytime soon. By now it was six days to the next full moon. Duncan had finished the fence, returning to his studies for the cure. They had spent a couple days searching for the flower Kim needed to make progress, thankfully finding some past the creek, a couple of miles northwest from their home.

His searching was much less frantic than a month before. It even seemed like he was coming to terms with her fate. Any time he felt anxiety try to creep into his mind, he would remind himself that rushed work would make no progress in this craft. He needed his mind calm and clear to concentrate on potion brewing.

“I’m glad you’re relaxed,” Kim said as they worked, her voice filling the silence in the room. Duncan wasn’t really paying attention to her, instead wandering around in his thoughts.

“Hmm?” he responded, acting like he was intently reading so she wouldn’t accuse him of day dreaming.

“I’m glad you’re not fretting over it like last month,” Kim clarified.

“Oh, yeah, me too. It’s much easier to work this way,” Duncan responded. “Have you made any more progress?” 

“A little, I suppose,” Kim answered, glancing down at her own work station. There were several bottles filled with various liquids, notes she had taken on several different pieces of paper, some ingredients here and there. It was an organized mess, from her eyes, though it was loads better than Duncan’s desk, stacked high with books, crumpled papers, bottles and the like. “What about you?”

“I’m catching up to you, I think, though based on your notes, I’ve taken a slightly different route,” Duncan paused to look down at his recent scribblings that sat next to a paper of Kim’s. “I didn’t see anything for two potions I made in your notes. Did you ever do one that needed wood shavings?” he inquired. She bit her lip as she thought, trying to glean any information from the many potions and brews she had made.

“Not that I can recall,” she responded after some time. “I’ve been using mostly flowers and roots.”

“I guess we’ve specialized without knowing it,” Duncan said more to the air than Kim. He had no idea if this would affect their search for the cure, but he was starting to worry less and less. Somehow he had miraculously adopted some of Kim’s calmness.

 

The day of the full moon, Duncan didn’t even work on research. Instead, he spent his day outside, wandering in the forest, tending to their garden, taking in the fresh air. A small part of him was confused at his tranquil state, screaming for him to return fervently to to his studies and find the cure, but it was much easier to push aside. He had mostly forgotten about that weird encounter a couple of weeks ago, deciding it was no more than a dream within a dream, concluding that ghosts weren’t real. Kim hadn’t pressed him about that night, and he hadn’t had any nightmares since.

However, as he tended the plants in the garden, a thought came to him. Why did he have a nightmare now? Why didn’t it happen the week after Ross attacked Kim, or when Kim transformed for the first time? He knew the mind was a curious, confusing thing, but the weird delay still nagged in the back of his mind while he worked. There was no explanation, it seemed. Maybe his hallucination in the field earlier that day had triggered it, perhaps he had eaten something bad. “Nope, I don’t need to analyze this. What happened in the past can stay there,” he confided to a potato plant. The simple statement seemed to focus his mind enough to stop analyzing, leaving him in peace the rest of the day, but that night was a different story.

It was a few minutes before sundown. Kim was already standing outside, wrapped up in a blanket instead of clothes to prevent another outfit being ripped to shreds. Duncan sat in his same perch as last time, looking out the window at her. He did a quick mental check of the important things: horse was in its stall, all important doors were locked. Everything was good, now for the agonizing wait. Minutes passed by like hours; after what seemed like forever, he saw Kim suddenly crouch on the ground, the first indicator that transformation was about to begin. He watched faithfully as her body contorted and grew, trying his hardest to ignore those horrible howls and growls of pain. In reality, the transformation took less than a minute, but it may as well have been years to him. He hated seeing her in pain, but for the meantime, he would have to get used to this monthly thing.

Once Kim had fled into the woods, Duncan made his way back to the lab. He spent some time tinkering with his machines, trying to tire himself out so he could sleep, but a couple of hours passed before he felt remotely tired. However, once he hit that mark, drowsiness came quickly. He found his head falling forward in his hands, which were failing to do a good job supporting his head. Feeling the stiffness in his back, Duncan stood up to stretch before trudging to bed. The hallway felt cold, but he didn’t put much thought to it, chalking it up to a chilly night. Suddenly, the horse neighed in its stall, giving him a start. It was an eerie whine, one of fear it seemed. He debated on checking the horse; there shouldn’t be anything in the room to spook it, but Kim would want him to check. He’d hate to see it injured somehow in the morning, making him subject to Kim’s wrath.

The darkness did nothing to quell his anxious mind. He had a torch, but that darkness out of touch of the light seemed to be harboring something unknown. The door to the stable creaked loudly, echoing off the stone walls. The horse snorted at his entrance, acknowledging his appearance. Nothing seemed to be amiss in the room; though it was a bit chilly, nothing was missing. Duncan was going to put a blanket on it, but as he neared with the torch, he saw the sheen of sweat on the horse’s neck. Something had spooked the horse, but the room was empty of spooky objects or noises. He spent a few minutes calming the horse, stroking it while whispering calmly. It was definitely less spooked than when Duncan first came in, but now he was suspicious of his surroundings.

Upon entering the hallway again, Duncan noticed it was much colder than before. However, seeing his own breath wasn’t the problem, the wind inside the building was. Did a window open, or a door? There was no real good reason that he would feel such a strong breeze inside. He continued cautiously down the hall, fighting the growing urge to run and hide in his bed. Then, just like before, the wind started moaning past his ears, stopping him in his tracks. A chill ran down his spine, but he had had enough of this fear paralyzing him. “Who or what is there?” he asked the air, shakier than he intended, but he hoped it was commanding enough. As if to answer his question, a strong gust of wind blew out his torch. The hallway was bathed in darkness, only a faint glow coming from his destination, the living area. It took all of his willpower to stay and face this...thing...that was taunting him. Without realizing, he had pulled out his wand, currently equipped with the lightning core, as defense. “Show yourself,” he barked, almost making himself jump as it reverberated off the walls. The thing obeyed, slowing forming a pale, white, glowing shape in front of him, a human body. He could tell it was female, but only by its silhouette, everything else was fuzzy and blurred like an illuminated fog. “Who are you?” he asked the shape. It did not respond for some time, instead hovering unnaturally off the ground a few inches, staring at him.

Eventually the thing spoke, not from the apparition, but all around him. “Yooooouuu neeeevvveeer kneeeeeww mmmeeee,” it moaned.

“W...what do you mean, who are you? Do you have a name?” he inquired again.

“Yoooouuu neeevveer leaarrrneed mmmyyyy nnnaaaaame, iiiit waaaasss hiiiideeen froooommm yoooouuu,” it responded. Duncan was now confused more than scared, frustrated by the way it drew out its words and spoke so vaguely. Before he could ask it to clarify, it continued. “Yooooouuuur faaaaatheeerrr haaaateeed mmeee, yeeet yooouuu diiid nooot taaake affteeer hiiiisss waaayyss.”

“I wouldn’t ever want to be like him,” Duncan answered. “How did you know that?”

“IIIII knooooww muuuuch aaabooouuut yooouuu, beeecaauussse yooouuu keeept mmyyyy peeendaannt,” it said.

“What? That was my mother’s how can you…” Duncan started, realizing just who he was talking to now. He had found the pendant in his room after his mom had disappeared, not thinking much of it at the time because he was so young. He never really knew her, but now his emotions flooded his mind. “mom?” he whispered, partially a statement and a question.

“IIIIII’ve beeeennn wwwwiiiitthhh yoooouuu eeeeevvveeeerrr sssiiinnnce. Yoooouuuu wwwweeeeerrree nnnooot mmmatuuuurrrre eeeennnoouuugh tooooo knooooowwww uuuunnntiiiiillll nnnnoooow,” she answered. Though a burst of anger arrived in his mind, he understood her logic. If she had contacted him in the village, he would have been in danger if anyone found out.

“It’s, um, nice to talk to you,” Duncan stammered, suddenly lost for words. Abruptly, the form in front of him dissipated.

“IIII cccaaannn nnnoooot beeee iiinnn thhhhiiisss sssstaaaate ffffoooorrr llllooonnng, buuuut IIII wwwiiilll aalllwaayyss beee wwwiiithhh yoooouuu,” she clarified. The wind died down, and the hallway grew warmer.

“Goodbye, mother,” he answered waiting for a response, but feeling only a presence on his cheek for a moment, like a hand, though no physical one was there.

So many emotions were running through his mind at this encounter, but sleep crept back into his mind, reminding him of the late hour. Duncan made haste to the living area, stoking the stove a bit before crawling into his bed, and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	17. It's Best to Confess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan finally tells Kim about his supernatural experiences, and Kim wonders about her father's well being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing good with this every other week update thing, but I can't say for sure if I'll be able to do the next update on time, as I'm going for a college visit. I will know for sure when I will upload Chapter 18 once I get back from that on the 26th of September, but to be safe, you can follow me on [ tumblr ](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com) where I will post updates for A Chance for Discovery, and my life in general.

Duncan was pushing old Mrs. Chapman down the main path in his village in a wheelbarrow, running at full speed, though he didn’t feel winded at all. Suddenly, he was in the middle of Redwick, just outside the town hall, still pushing her around. “Take me to the tack shop,” she demanded, her voice much more croaky and high-pitched than he remembered. He obeyed her order, somehow opening the door without touching it as he wheeled her inside. As soon as he stopped, she got out of the wheelbarrow and walked over to a barrel of grain, and stuck her head inside. The label stamped on the side of the barrel read “OATS”, but suddenly he smelled something different, like meat of some sort. He walked up to Mrs. Chapman and looked over her shoulder to see her eating not oats, but chunks of cooked venison. Now he could hear it sizzle, like it was in a pan cooking; when he looked down at the chunks of meat, he could see the juice bubble like it did in a pan. Then the elderly lady quickly jerked up, suddenly humming with Kim’s voice. He stared at her for a few moments, before the scene changed again. This time, the transition was not so abrupt, and he realised as he was staring at the ceiling above his bed that he had woken up. The humming from his dream continued; he found its true source standing in front of the hearth, cooking good-smelling venison.

“Good morning,,” Duncan yawned as he slowly sat up in bed. “Hope you’re cooking more than just for yourself, you made me dream about venison.”

“Sounds like you had a peaceful night, and of course I am, cos you’re always hungry,” Kim responded. Duncan chuckled somewhat nervously. _Should I tell her what happened? I don’t know if she’d believe me,_ he wondered. Before he could think any more on the subject, his mouth opened the topic for him.

“Actually, I had a weird night,” Duncan started.

“Really, what happened?” Kim asked, pausing from her cooking to look over at him.

“Ok, first, this is gonna sound weird, but just hear me out,” he paused, letting her nod in agreement. “So you remember that night a week ago when I had that nightmare? Well that wasn’t all that happened that day. When I was working on the fence, I thought I felt a...presence...like someone was there, but there wasn’t, at least not a physical person. That night, after you had fallen back asleep, I went outside for some fresh air, and I heard the word ‘safe’, like it was moaned by a ghost. Fast forward to last night…”

As duncan recounted the events of the previous night in detail, he watched Kim’s expressions carefully. So far, she seemed to be understanding, waiting until he was completely done with the story to ask him a question, one he knew was coming before he even started talking. “Why didn’t you tell me about a week ago?” he shrugged before answering, using all his will power to keep eye contact with her.

“Well, at first I wasn’t sure if it was real, if I was just paranoid or I’d dreamt it up. But last night confirmed that it was real, and it was my mother,” Duncan said. Kim gave him a sympathetic smile before responding.

“You’re gonna have to formally introduce me some time, that is, if she doesn’t already know all about me by sneaking around,” she said, before coming to the conclusion that Duncan’s mother may be in the room anyway. She suddenly turned to the middle of the room, talking to the air, and hopefully his mother. “Hello Duncan’s mother, thanks for keeping an eye on us!” Though it was quite probable that she did hear Kim’s greeting, Duncan couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the ridiculousness of it all. However, the smell of food and watching Kim put it on plates quickly brought him back to reality, and motivated him enough to get out of bed.

“What, did you not feed yourself after I...left?” Kim asked, watching Duncan scarf down the meat. He looked up at her sheepishly swallowing before apologizing.

“Sorry, I wasn’t hungry, I was working mostly with some machines.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me, I mean I get you’d be dead if I wasn’t around to cook for you all the time,” she retorted, playfully kicking him under the table.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, mock hurt. “I can cook.”

“Yeah, but I’m better at it,” she responded, motioning to the food, or mostly lack thereof on Duncan’s plate.

“I can’t argue with that one,” he said, taking another bite of food. He was glad Kim didn’t treat him like he was insane; he realized then and there that he could tell her anything.

 

That evening, as they had dinner as usual, Kim started thinking aloud. “I wonder if your mother can travel around, like far away from here.” Duncan thought about it, based on what his mother said.

“I’m not sure, but I think she’s tethered to my...her pendant,” he started, wondering why she would be thinking about that, but he couldn’t think of a reason. “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh nothing,” she started, but realizing she couldn’t avoid Duncan’s curiosity so easily, she decided to continue. “It’s just, well now that you’ve...um...found your mother, it’s made me wonder what's happened to my father.”

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask her, though I don’t know what she can do,” Duncan responded.

“Maybe she can check the spirit realm, see if he’s…” she didn’t finish her sentence. The tension in the room increased exponentially. Duncan knew it was likely Kim might break down, but he didn’t know how to comfort her. He supposed it was going to come up eventually; she hadn’t really mentioned anything about her father in the two months he had known her. He knew so little about her past, but now was definitely not the time to ask. Instead, he watched her carefully, continuing to eat and think up a comforting sentence. Before one could arrive in his mind, she spoke again, her voice ever so slightly strained. “I’ve never been away from my father this long. It’s so hard living in this in between state, knowing nothing about what’s happened to him.” Duncan didn’t really know how she felt. Sure, he wondered about his mother, but he didn’t really know her in the first place, and his father was no angel. He did miss Richard, but he knew where Richard probably was, unless he took a trip. Finally now that she seemed to calm down a bit, Duncan decided to inquire about what happened that day.

“Do you know who those men were that took him? Had he dealt with them before?”

Kim thought hard for awhile. He knew it was probably hard for her to think of it again, her last moments with her father shrouded in confusion, fear, mystery. “They may have belonged to a gang called the Silver Star. I’ve only heard about them, but they were known for being extremely powerful. I’m not sure why my father would be dealing with them, he never had anything extremely valuable to trade or sell.”

Of course, Duncan didn’t know what she was talking about, nor did they have any means of getting information. They could go back to Redwick, but according to Kim, it was the opposite direction from where she came. The only option he currently had was to ask his mother.

She had said she would always be with him, but as he wandered through the house calling for her, he felt no chill, no response. Finally, he decided to try outside, opening the door to the dark and chilly night. _Winter must be coming soon,_ he thought as he shivered. “Mother?” he yelled into the darkness. No reply came back, he tried a few more times but with no luck. Before he gave up for the night, he decided to try leaving her a message. Maybe she was around, but last night exhausted her so much that she couldn’t interact with this world for awhile. “Mother, if you can hear me, I was wondering if you could look for Kim’s father,” he paused to remember the name that Kim had told him moments ago. “We’re looking for a Tim Richards, who has a daughter named Kim, about sixteen years old. If you could search for him even in your realm, that would be great.” He stayed for some time, hoping he would get a reply, but as none came and the cold nipped at his face, he returned to the warmth of the hearth, hoping that some information would turn up.


	18. Sometimes Not Knowing is Worse than Knowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan tries to cheer up Kim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back again, only to tell you guys that Chapter 19 won't be posted until October 26th because I'm going on a vacation with my family October 10th -17th. I'll definitely upload some photos I'll take on my [ tumblr (Adapted-Batteries) ](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com) so follow me on there if you'd like.

A week had passed before Duncan heard from his mother again, getting reassuring but ultimately unhelpful news. "Well, he isn't dead, or at least isn't in the spirit realm, so he's still alive somewhere," Duncan stated as they worked in the garden. Kim didn't respond, and just kept plucking weeds in silence. He could easily tell that not knowing her father's whereabouts was tormenting her much more than if he was dead. Duncan wanted to say many thing things in hopes to cheer her up, but any jokes would only cover her solemn mood. All he wanted was for Kim to be happy again, not this depressed, lonely girl she had been since he told her about his mother. He couldn't ask his mother for help either; he learned that interacting with him in the physical realm was extremely difficult, something she could only manage every so often. An idea popped into his head, and promptly his mouth. "What if we went looking? I mean, there's nothing keeping us here. We can stock up one last time in Redwick and go follow your trail." It was a long shot, but a part of Duncan yearned for a new adventure. Kim stopped weeding and looked up at him, a faint spark of hope in her eyes. However, that spark faded as she thought about his proposition.

"But we don't know where to start. He could be anywhere by now, and we can't search the whole world for him," she sighed, looking back down at the plants around her. Duncan wasn't going to lose that glimmer of Kim he just saw, so he continued.

"But that's the thing, it's an adventure. Who knows what we may learn on the way," He paused to watch Kim, continuing when she didn't look up. "We can head north, head to the nearest city from Redwick, we can go anywhere. I bet if we get to a city big enough, we can get some information that can guide us in the right direction." She stopped working again, but didn't look up at him.

"I don't know, I don't want to get mixed up with that gang," she said warily. Duncan was losing his foothold, he had to think of something to get her interested again.

"If you were in your father's place, wouldn't you want him to find you? Even if we can't find him, maybe we can help someone in the same situation. Wouldn't that be worth all the trouble?" He asked, trying to appeal to her humanity. He let her think with the calming ambiance of the forest, concentrating back on his job, hoping she would want to go do something other than staying here. It wasn't that he didn't like this place, it had everything he could want or need really. There was just something inside of him that wanted more than what seclusion could provide. He needed new information, new people to learn from, new people to help. Perhaps Richard had ingrained more than just medical knowledge in him all those years ago. A desire to help others drove Richard, inspired him to experiment, urged him to take trips to learn how to help more. Only a few people had died when a horrible plague came, because he had visited another healer who had learned how to cure it. Richard had saved Kim for free, using herbs Duncan knew were rare, out of sympathy for his friend. Perhaps the same need was now driving Duncan to help someone, to use his knowledge and to acquire more to help anyone.

Finally, Kim looked back to him, that spark back again in her dark eyes. "I'll go, but promise me one thing, Duncan: promise that you won't get yourself killed because you got too curious. I can't lose you too."

A smile crept up on his face. "I'll try my best." He glanced back down at the plants before him. "I figure we can leave once harvest is done, perhaps a few weeks?"

"Will everything be grown by then?" she asked, looking at young, under-ripe vegetables nearby.

"Mostly, but if we're going to travel, we have to leave before winter arrives, because once it does, we will be stuck here," Duncan concluded, recalling some of the hard winters they had had in the village. He watched Kim again, trying to determine her thoughts from her face, but not succeeding. After some time, she finally spoke.

"Do you think we'll find him?"

"I can't predict the future, Kim," he answered. "I hope we do, I hope we can help others too, but we won't know anything until we get out there."

As the day went on, Kim gradually got into a better mood. He tried his best to distract her with planning and preparation, but he could tell that she still fretted over her father's unknown circumstances. One thing that did get her off that contemplation was further research into that book of potions, convincing her to learn as much as she could in case they needed it out there. He tried to learn more thaumcraft as well, making them shoes to walk faster and stronger tools than iron. Duncan didn't want to fight anyone, but it was better to be prepared just in case. Kim may be able to heal quickly, but he could not, though she had learned how to make a potion of regeneration.

Duncan was excited to go on an adventure but time didn't seem to be on his side. Days stretched on for what felt like forever to him. He let his thaumcraft studies pass the time for him, but he just couldn't concentrate on one item. He often frequented his machines, knowing he might not come back to them. They technically weren't even his to begin with, but as he tinkered and repaired, he poured his heart into those machines. Though he was sad to leave them, the hope of learning about new machines made up for lost.

He couldn't really tell what Kim thought of the trip. At some points, she seemed quite excited, but at others she got very solemn and quiet. She was fairly normal as she did her research, but at dinner she was much quieter than usual, sometimes only giving one or two word answers to his queries. Duncan knew it was difficult for her; to her, this wasn't some adventure, it was a mission, one that could end in one of two ways: with her father alive, or with him dead. He didn't know what to expect to find. He didn't want to get her hopes up, only to be broken with news of his death, but he didn't want to be so pessimistic about the outcome either. He found it best just to stick with responding "I don't know" anytime she asked him. 

The closer they got to the end of harvest, the less Kim asked what he thought would happen. Eventually she started to get excited about leaving, happily canning foods for their journey as she hummed and sang to herself in the kitchen. He was happy to finally have his Kim back: the bubbly, somewhat hyper, smiley one. In the end, his goal was to keep her safe, regardless of the information they found.


	19. The Start of an Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim prep to start their journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! We're getting close to the end of this, probably only a couple of chapters left. I will try to keep to posting every other week, but obviously I want to make these last chapters worthy of a finale, so if I end up posting late, sorry in advance.

A week before they left, Duncan was busy in his lab, experimenting away with his thaumcraft. It had been a fairly relaxing day, though all the days now were laced with excitement and nervousness. Harvest kept Kim busy as she picked and preserved fresh vegetables for travel, so Duncan left her to it, keeping her mind focused on other things. The lab was fairly silent; some machines that he needed were on and whirring or humming, but the rest were dark and cold, probably never to be used again. Suddenly, a now familiar chill ran over his arms and workspace, his mother letting him know of her presence. “Hello, mother,” he said to the air, waiting patiently for her to appear in the room. A few minutes and a twenty degrees drop later, a faint grey form coalesced in front of his desk.

“IIIIIII hhaaaaave neeeews,” she moaned, the wind in the room picked up after the words.

“News of what? Kim’s father?” he asked.

“Noooo, Foooor yooooouuuur saaaafetyyy. Theeee siiilllveeeeer Staaaaarr iiis loooookiiing foooor Kiiiiim,” she answered. Duncan immediately sat up straight on his stool.

“Do they know where we are?” he asked, a slight quiver in his voice.

After an agonizing pause, she responded. “Nooooo, buuuut beeee caaaaarefuuuulll wheeeeen yoooooouuuu traaaaveeelll.”

Duncan sighed with relief. “Good. Don’t worry, I’ll try to keep us out of sight.”

“IIII knoooooowww yooooouuuu wiiiiill,” she whispered before fading again into nothing. Duncan was a bit concerned for their safety now. They would have to be much more careful with their inquires, probably doing more himself to keep Kim under their radar. He was very lucky to have a mother who watched out for him even in the afterlife.

 

Soon enough, it was time to leave their home. Harvest had finished, they made their final preparations. Though they were both excited to leave, there was a new air of caution thanks to the information Duncan’s mother gave them. 

“What if we don’t come back here?” Kim asked to no one in particular as they loaded last minute items on the cart.

“That doesn’t mean we’ve died, maybe we just found a better place to live,” Duncan countered. Kim decided to drop the topic, knowing Duncan would respond just as he always did.

“Did you pack everything I put on your list?” she asked as she glanced at her own.

“Yes,” he answered simply.

“You have your mother’s broach?”

He patted above his left breast in confirmation. “I’m keeping it in my pocket.”

“Well, that should be everything. Shall we start on our journey then?”

“I think we shall,” he responded with a smile.

The way to Redwick was uneventful as it was the last trip. They arrived late that evening, staying in the same inn. “I wonder if Chris is still here,” Duncan mused as they lay on their beds.

“Maybe, but if he is, don’t forget you’re supposed to be getting supplies,” Kim responded lazily, completing her sentence with a yawn.

“I know,” he yawned back. The conversation halted there as both drifted off to sleep.

Duncan once again awoke to unfamiliar sounds, such a dramatic change to the silence of the forest. He sat up and looked at the note on his bedside table, his reminders from Kim to get all they needed. Among the normal things like oats and corn, she requested a metal chain and collar. To anyone else, this would be a weird request, but he knew her reasoning. There was no way to guarantee she would come back as they travel through full moons, so her only solution was to be chained up. He only hoped the blacksmith could make it quickly, for Kim would transform in two weeks time, and he had no idea how close the next town was to Redwick.

“So you want a strong chain, may I ask why?” the blacksmith queried as he made notes.

“Um yeah,” Duncan stuttered as he formulated a story. “We have a dog, well a wolf really, who likes to kill some of the deer nearby and leave it to rot,” he started. _Well, only a half lie I guess,_ he thought. “We can’t keep her inside our barn at night either unless we wanted a wrecked barn.” The blacksmith seemed much less suspicious now.

“How long do you need it?” he asked.

“How long can you make it today?” Duncan responded.

“Hm, well I have another project I have to finish today, so probably only ten or fifteen feet,” he answered. “It’ll have to set overnight though, can you get it tomorrow morning?”

“Yeah, that would be fine,” Duncan sighed, he wanted to get moving today, but obviously they needed this.

“You said something about a collar, how big is your dog’s neck?” Duncan held up his hands in a rough estimate of Kim’s wolf form neck, hoping it wasn’t too small. “Ok, stay like that and let me measure,” the blacksmith said instructed as he grabbed a ruler.

“About eleven inches in diameter,” he mumbled as he wrote down the dimensions. “It’ll be ready tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks,” Duncan responded before leaving to complete his next, personal task.

 

Kim was excited to see Hannah one last time, a little bounce in her step as she walked from the inn to the general store. Hannah was a the counter when she stepped inside, her face immediately lit up when she saw Kim. she quickly finished the transaction with a customer then sauntered over to Kim, who had been looking at some sweets.

“Kim! It’s been so long, how are you?” Hannah asked as she gave Kim a hug.

“It’s not been that long, but I’m doing well. how are you and your father doing?” Kim asked.

“Quite well. Once you left, he realized how badly we needed a second hand, so he hired a friend of mine, but he’s not in today. So what brings you to Redwick again?”

“Actually, we’re just staying today, restocking some supplies before we leave,” Kim responded.

“Where are you going?” Hannah asked as she followed Kim around the store.

“We don’t know yet. We’re trying to find my father, but I used to live weeks away from here.”

“Do you have any general direction you’re going?”

“North. What’s the nearest town in that direction?”

Hannah thought for a few moments before answering. “I’m not too good at geography, but I think the nearest town is a week or so away, called, um,” she paused while she mentally searched for the name. “Havensdale, that’s it.”

“Then I guess that’s where we’re going. Hopefully Duncan has done his own research though,” Kim said.

 

Chris’s garage looked suspiciously empty as Duncan neared. _No, don’t tell me he’s left,_ he thought as he looked into the garage window. Stuff was still inside, but hadn’t looked used in weeks. As he peered inside, a steamcart drove past, stopping somewhere near Duncan. “You lookin’ for the mechanic?” a voice asked. Duncan turned around to see one of the customers he recognized from last time he was here.

“Yeah. Is he out?” Duncan asked.

“You could say that. He’s not been in town for three weeks now,” the man answered.

“Where did he go?”

“I don’t think anyone knows. He just up and left with two men from out of town, and hasn’t been back since,” the man paused, but Duncan had nothing to say. “If you left something in there, go on in, he left it unlocked. Nobody’s taken anything ‘cos we don’t know how to use most of it.” And with that, the man got back on his cart and drove off.

Curiosity of course led him in the open door. Duncan couldn’t use most of the stuff either, simply because he had nowhere to keep it. He searched for any hints as to where Christ went, but found nothing. A drawer in his desk was open, the money drawer, and was empty, but the rest looked untouched. Chris’s words reverberated in his head as he looked around “ _I can’t promise I’ll still be here._ ” He did stay true to his word in a way. After leaving Chris’s shop empty-handed, he made his way to the next shop he had to go to, closer to finishing Kim’s list.

 

That night they recounted their day’s experiences to each other. Kim spent most of her day catching up with Hannah, and getting supplies from their shop, while Duncan had been from place to place fulfilling her list. He was happy to let her recount her day to him; he enjoyed hearing the joy in her voice as she retold stories. To a stranger, Kim probably sounded annoying, but to Duncan, this was why he was traveling. She deserved to figure out where her father was, just as much as he needed to learn where his mother really went all these years ago; she deserved the truth.


	20. Something was Bound to Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Kim leave Redwick and travel on north.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I added some pages to my notebook, so I'm in between finishing it in one big chapter, or have a normal chapter and an epilogue of sorts. I will try my best to keep to uploading these within the next month, whichever format I end up settling on.
> 
> Once this finishes, I have some one shots I'll upload while I work on the next story, my Hat Films spin off of this universe, "Not So Lonely Anymore". If you would like status updates, as I think to post them, follow me on [ tumblr ](http://adapted.batteries.tumblr.com).

They left Redwick the next morning after collecting the chain and collar from the blacksmith. There was no road to follow, only a faint path that didn't seem to be traveled often. Duncan took in the unfamiliar sights and smells around them as they passed through the open plains, but Kim was in her own world. Three days messed into one blur when the scenery didn't change, the gold and green tall grass like an ocean around them. Instead of wondering about her father or their safety, Kim imagined new worlds, new experiences. She like to read as a child, her father getting her new and foreign books as they traveled around, feeding her already active imagination. Now, without books, she had to make her own stories, even telling Duncan a few to help him pass the time in the monotonous prairie. Several times over she thought _if only I had a pencil and paper._ The next town they arrived in, she was determined to gather these materials. 

On the fourth day, the tall grass changed to trees, very tall trees that blocked out most sunlight. The forest floor was left in a prolonged state of dusk, getting dark much earlier in the day, and cutting their travel short. The nights were long, not only because of the trees, but the animals at the things that lived here were quite noisy at night. Ominous howls and hoots and chirps echoed under the leaf-roof, sometimes spooking the horse, or jolting one of the two awake. Kim was glad when they emerged four days later to what she hoped was Havensdale. It looked vastly different to Redwick; log homes from felled trees nearby clumped together around winding dirt roads. There didn't seem to be any electricity, and no need for plumbing as a small creek ran through the town, providing cold fresh water. The town was by no means empty; men, women, and children all bustled about doing tasks, pushing carts, toting buckets. It reminded her of what little she saw of Duncan's home village as they passed it leaving. _I bet Duncan feels right at home,_ she thought as they walked deeper into the town. No one seemed to pay much mind to them, but the locals were by no means unfriendly. Every few people or so they passed gave them a friendly nod before continuing their work or task.

Small homes changed into bigger building, and obvious lumber mill sat on the bank of the creek surrounded by the town's essentials semicolon the town hall, blacksmith, at church. There did not seem to be a store of sorts; most homes had gardens or cattle near them. No doubt this community was tight knit, everyone taking care of each other, especially with what little suitable and they had cleared from the forest grow crops. A leather workshop was adorned with many hides on display, or drying. “Hunting must be a staple in this place,” Duncan mused as they walked past it and the conveniently located butcher next door. 

“You must not be from round here,” a husky voice said with a chuckle. a stout man st in a chair in front of the butcher, clothes smeared with blood.

“No, we live quite a ways from here,” Duncan answered.

“What brings you to Havensdale?” the man asked.

“We’re just passing through, getting some supplies before we continue on our journey.” Duncan thought about asking the man if he knew anything about the Silver Star, but the man spoke before he could continue.

“Where are you heading?”

“North. Speaking of which, do you know how far away the closest town in that direction is?” Duncan asked, hoping for some information.

“Nope,” the man shrugged. “I’ve never went outside of Havensdale in my life. But I know who would know stuff. Matt the bookmaker, he knows a lot. His home and shop is just up this road on your left. You’ll see a sign.”

 

The bookmaker proved more than useful to Duncan and Kim. Not only did he draw a map for them to navigate to the next few towns and eventually a city, but he also heard of the Silver Star.

“They’ve been scoping around lately in Preston, but it’ll be a week or more until you get there. A friend of mine says they're staying in Newcastle mostly, so when you get there in a few weeks, be careful,” Matt told them as if someone may be listening.

“How do you know the Silver Star?” Kim asked.

“I’ve had some, dealings, with them in the past. I don’t work with them anymore, but like anyone who works with them, you keep an eye on their movements. You never know when they may suddenly become offended by some past statement.” He paused as he contemplated he next statement. “They very well may have done just that to your father.”

“Do they kill those they take?” Duncan asked.

“If your father was healthy and capable, they probably put him to work after torturing him,” Matt told the floor, avoiding Kim’s gaze. “I’ve heard they treat those who obey remotely well; I hope for his sake he figured that out quickly.”

Kim looked very concerned at this information; Duncan knew it was time to give her some space while she processed. “Thank you for this information,” Duncan said.

“Information dispersal is kind of my job,” Matt said as he motioned t o some printing equipment. “Though generally I don’t disperse this type of information.” He escorted Duncan and Kim to the door. “I wish you both safe travels.”

 

Once they resupplied, they were off again to the north, back in the ominous forest. Duncan didn't like it; with the little sunlight, it was hard to figure out any sense of direction. He could only hope they were going in the right direction. As winter had its way, the days were even shorter, and colder, but the tree-roof never lost its leaves, continuing to hide the hoots and chirps in its branches. It was very hard to try and cheer Kim up now. After a few days Duncan gave up on trying until they got out of this cursed forest. As luck would have it, they neared the full moon, the end of the woods nowhere in sight. Nothing could be done except hope the chain would do its job holding her back. Duncan couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as he secured the chain around a thick tree, and placed the collar around her neck. “I'm so sorry, it'll be over soon,” Duncan tried to console, earning nothing but a shrug in return. He trudged back to his makeshift bed near the fire, attempting to console himself with the warmth while he heard the horribly familiar sounds of transformation, falling asleep to the harsh clanking of the chain and growls and howls of the protest from Kim.

 

Sleep was not any kinder to him, torturing him with grotesque images and terrifying scenarios. When it finally released its hold, Duncan awoke to a horrible sight. Their horse was dead, a torn up mess next to the tree he had tied to the night before. Kim was nowhere in sight; the chain lay broken on the ground, still around the trunk. Upon further inspection, the chain was gnarled, mangled, presumably from her teeth, somehow tearing the metal as if it were a branch. He was alone in this terrifying Forest, no one or thing with him. Kim was out there somewhere, no doubt miserable and her post transformation haze in an unfamiliar place.

“Should I look for her or stay?” he asked the wind, hoping that perhaps his mother may answer, but nothing came. Desiring to get away from the sight and smell of death, Duncan wandered into the forest, hoping a little supplies he could carry on his back with last them the journey, if he ever found her.


	21. The Silver Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim wakes up in a cell, Duncan gets captured as well. Will they make it out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back! And a lot less stressed. It's been a blast writing this story, but it must come to a close next Monday. 
> 
> I will continue writing, and while I work on "Not So Lonely Anymore", I will put out some actual short stories I've written. I also take prompts as well, which you can submit [ here]() on my Tumblr. No guarantees I will immediately write it, but I will credit whoever sends it in, and as best as I can if it's done anonymously.

Kim woke up in a cell of some sort. She had been sleeping on the cold, hard ground, only a blanket covering her. As her head cleared, she remembered at least why she had no clothes on. She wrapped the thin blanket around her tighter, noticing someone else in the corner of the cell, still sleeping. Her head pounded as she looked around, the harsh florescent light straining her eyes. Concrete walls closed her and the stranger in, only a sturdy metal door breaking the brick pattern. A black dome was in the center of the ceiling next to the light; something was inside it, but she couldn’t tell what, only that it was moving. There was a foul-smelling bucket to her left in the other corner, presumably the chamber pot.

The body in the corner stirred with a low groan. They, he, sat up and looked at Kim, poorly attempting to smooth out the wrinkles in their tan jumpsuit. His face was battered and swollen; it hurt Kim’s heart when she saw it. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t recognize the bloody and bruised face. He, on the other hand, recognized her right away. “Kim?” the unmistakable voice queried, the shock in the sole word voicing his confusion.

“Dad?” she tried to say, her voice rough.

“How did you get here? Did they hurt you?” her father asked as he quickly shuffled over to her, pain apparent in his stiff movements.

“I don’t know. The last thing I remember is being with Duncan,” she started before she trailed off.

“Who is Duncan?”

“He found, well I stumbled upon his house a few weeks after they took you, and he let me stay with him.” Kim paused as she tried hard to remember anything during her transformed state. “The chain must have broken,” she muttered to herself.

“Chain? What chain? Kim, please tell me why, tell me how you got here,” her father pleaded.

Kim gave him a basic recount of her life since he was taken, meeting Duncan, the fateful night, Richard’s theory, the first full moon. “Last night there was a full moon, but since we were out in the forest, Duncan got a chain to keep me nearby, and to keep me from hurting him or the horse while I was in my beast form. I don’t ever really remember anything while in that state, so I can only speculate that the chain broke, and I traveled far enough to be near some Silver Star. How they subdued me I don’t know, werewolves are very resilient to a lot of things.” She paused to look at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. After some time in silence, he spoke.

“Do you think Duncan is still alive?”

“I...I hope so. I don’t remember anything,” she stammered. Before their conversation could continue, the door slammed open, revealing a man in a uniform holding a tray with two plates and cups on it. He didn’t speak as he sat the tray on the ground. A hand appeared in the doorway with a tan jumpsuit; the guard took it and tossed it at her, falling a few feet short. The guard shut the door as he left; the footsteps tapered off into silence. 

“Go ahead and put that on, it’ll be warmer than that blanket,” her father stated as he picked up his plate, readily scooping what looked like porridge into his mouth with a piece of bread. 

Her father turned his back to her so she could change, taking his plate with him. The jumpsuit was rough, but it was better than nothing. She watched her father eat, cowered in the corner. He was so different, a shell of who he used to be. She was so sorry for him, what he must have been through the past months, guilty for not looking for him. There was nothing she or Duncan could have done; if they had tried to track him down earlier, they’d be in the same place she was in right now.

She knew Duncan was alive, she’d know if he was dead. There was just a feeling, something she couldn’t explain. He was out there, looking for her probably. Part of her hoped he’d show up, barge through that door, take her and her father back to their home. But of course, that didn’t happen; instead her father spoke. “If you’re done changing, you should eat your food.”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” she stuttered, breaking out of her reverie. Obeying her father, she sat down on the cold concrete and mimicked him, using her piece of bread to scoop up the slop on the plate. It didn’t taste bad; it didn’t taste like anything really. Knowing she needed the energy after the transformation the previous night, she finished her plate, trying hard to imagine the recipe she learned from Ross. 

“Why did they take you?” she queried after she finished her meal. He gave her a sad smile.

“I made some stupid business deals when I was young, before you were born. That’s why we moved from place to place after Mom died, I was trying to run away from my mistakes.” He paused, looking off to the door like he heard something, but no one came inside. “They think I have information, but I was just a middleman in the deal. I don’t know what the buyer did with the...stuff...I never even dealt with the main buyer, just their own middleman.” He turned back to her, his face somber, his eyes sad. “I don’t know why they took you, you know even less than I do.”

Kim sat quiet for a while, processing this information her father just gave her. “They didn’t kill…Mom,” she started, almost concern in her voice.

“No, she was sick. You were too young to know. It was a birth complication that never resolved itself,” he responded. Suddenly, the door slammed open; two guards rushed in and grabbed Kim roughly by the arms.

“Don’t fight them, Kim,” her father advised. She was more confused than anything, with her father acting so different, being imprisoned for an unknown reason. The advice was sound though; as soon as she started walking, the guards loosened their painfully tight grips as they took her somewhere.

 

Duncan wandered in the forest for a day before he arrived at the forest’s edge. There was a city of some sort, half of it dominated by a large grey compound, fenced and guarded. _Perhaps Kim made it this far,_ he thought. He made his way to the more inviting part of town, or what he thought was friendly. No one was out it seemed, except ominous-looking guards who roamed the streets. It wasn’t long before a guard stopped him. “Who are you? Do you have a permit to be out right now?” the guard barked at him.

“I...uh…” Duncan stuttered.

“Of course you don’t!” The guard pulled out a small black box and lunged towards him. Duncan felt a sharp pain in his arm before everything faded to black.

 

Kim thought she did her best to cooperate with the demands, but after two days, they had no information from her, and all she had was bruises all over and an aching body. Her speedy healing didn’t help matters; the interrogators weren’t satisfied until she left with wounds that stayed. She learned quickly to feign pain even if she didn’t feel it, but the guards only believed the wounds as proof of “breaking her.”

On the third day, after being dragged back to her and her father’s cell, a new person arrived. Kim was too sore, too stiff to move from the position her father put her in, so she listened instead, hoping it wasn’t a guard to drag her father away from her. There were two guards, she heard the boots, and someone being dragged. The person was thrown into their cell, emitting a familiar grunt as they landed. Kim tried her best to turn her head, emitting a noise of her own pain. Her eyes confirmed what she heard; a battered and bruised Duncan laid on his side in the middle of the room, facing away from her. “Duncan?” she croaked, her voice cracking. Her father looked up at her from where he was assessing Duncan’s injuries.

“He’s unconscious,” he stated, looking back to Duncan, observing his bloody face. “This is Duncan?” he asked, looking back to Kim. She nodded once, all she could manage. “So he did try to find you.” He paused to observe him again, lifting up Duncan’s left hand slightly. “He put up a fight it seems, bloody knuckles.” Kim merely nodded again before closing her eyes, passing out from her own pain.

 

When she awoke, Kim saw Duncan sitting up, her father helping him eat some food. There were two other trays on the ground, one untouched with what looked like extra slop. She couldn’t sit up on her own, so she waited patiently, watching her father take care of the half-conscious Duncan. He seemed to improve as he ate, his bruised eyes opening ever so slightly more, nodding when her father whispered something to him. She wanted to jump up and hug him, tell him everything was going to be alright, that this wasn’t his fault. He’d want to hear none of it, but he’d take it with a smile for her sake. Eventually his eyes glanced over to her, a few seconds later comprehending she was awake. Her father was preparing something beside him, his back turned towards her. “Kim,” he said, not a query but a relieved statement, a twinge of regret in his rough voice. Her father turned to her, seeing she was awake. 

“Good, you need to eat so you can heal,” he stated, more like objective doctor than a father nursing his child to health. He mumbled something to Duncan, giving him a cup as Duncan nodded back before moving to Kim. It was almost routine now, her father helping her sit up with as little pain as possible. Duncan watched the process, sadness in his eyes. Eating was easier than before; her abdomen less painful as she breathed and swallowed. She couldn't keep eye contact with Duncan, his sad stare seemingly peering straight into her soul. She couldn’t bear to see him so hurt either. He was the strong one, taking care of her, not this battered body leaning against the wall.

All too soon she finished her meal. Duncan looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to start the inevitable conversation. Her mind was devoid of any conversation starters. “Hi,” she started, hoping he would talk. 

“hi,” Duncan responded. The silence ate up the room; finally Kim's curiosity got the best of her.

“How did you get here?” she asked.

“We were apparently only a day away from here. You probably smelled something and made your way in a matter of hours, or they were in the woods,” he stated. She could tell he was struggling to refrain from asking her how she was, since he could do nothing in his current state to help her.

“But how did you get _here_?” she asked again.

“When I got into town, there were only guards out. I didn't have some permit he requested, and he had a little black box of some sort which knocked me out. I woke up in an empty cell first, before guards dragged me off and they interrogated me. I had no answers for them of course, but that didn't stop them from hurting me.” He paused, looking from Kim to her father who was eating his meal; she could practically see the gears grinding in his head, trying to figure a way out. “I'll get us out, don't worry.”

Kim smiled at him weakly. “I know you will, Duncan.”

 

Three weeks had passed before Duncan perfected a plan. Her dad was eager to help, using his “job” as a janitor to give Duncan rough layouts of the corridors and rooms. They learned quickly that the dome in the ceiling of the cell was a machine that watched them, so plans happened behind backs and stored in brains only. It was risky, but Duncan was relying on Kim’s werewolf state to get through some defenses. They had no clue if she could consciously follow his plan, but he assumed she was some degree of aware since she didn't kill him almost a month ago.

Their plan would be shot if the Silver Star forgot to seclude Kim into her own cell for the night, but they didn't seem too smart if they were continuing to keep the three in the same cell.

Thankfully for her sake, Kim's body seemed to adapt to the constant wounds well, healing quicker and quicker after each session. Duncan and her father, however, did not have this ability. The interrogators were intent on learning about the thaumcraft wand Duncan had on his person when they captured him, and punished him when they could not read his thaumonomicon or use his wand. There was a likely chance he'd never see those items again once they escaped, but Duncan would much rather be alive and free.

Kim could tell the full moon was near, but none of them could confirm when in the windowless compound. Kim's father had gotten quite hurt from a recent session; he had wandered too far out of his designated area. He couldn't walk well, or stand for long. Duncan wasn't sure how they were going to manage getting him out. “Maybe he can get on my back,” Kim whispered to Duncan as they readied themselves for their escape.

“We don't know how you will react to us in the room, let alone that. And you don't need him on your back while you're fighting,” Duncan responded softly. He glanced back to her father who was resting against the wall. “If he can't move fast enough on his own, I'll carry him on my back, I'm strong enough to hold him, especially since he kept giving us his meals when we couldn't do anything about it. But if you clear the guards, we shouldn't have a problem.”

Kim was about to respond when the beginning signs of transformation made her double over. “Quick, take off your jumpsuit, I'll put it in mine so you have something to wear tomorrow,” Duncan spoke quickly. Kim did as instructed, barely chucking the clothing at him before her body contorted. He jostled her father with his foot while he shoved the jumpsuit down his own. Her father jolted awake, standing up as quick as he could as Kim finished transforming. As she recovered, she stared at the two humans on the other side of the room. Duncan swallowed anxiously before speaking to her. “Kim, do you remember?” he asked, voice slightly shaky. She continued staring, finally nodding her head. “Good. Then go on.”

Kim looked at the door, backing up against the opposite wall. With a huff, she lunged the six feet to the door, knocking it down with a horrendous thud. The werewolf laid stunned for a few moments before getting up and dealing with the approaching guards. Duncan guided her father out and down the corridor, following Kim's bloody trail. He was slow, too slow for their escape as guards thundered behind them. “Here, get on my back, we'll be faster!” Duncan shouted over the now blaring alarm. Her father didn't question it, jumping on Duncan's back with a yelp. “Hold on!” Duncan yelled as he charged down the corridor, trying to catch up to Kim. She was having no issues with the guards; Duncan tried his best to ignore the carnage that littered the floor in front of him.

When they caught up with Kim, she was battling a large group of guards, a few already shredded on the ground. The wounds they inflicted with weird black sticks that ejected something at high speeds were taking a toll on her healing abilities, her movements becoming slow and clumsy. Fortunately, Duncan’s arrival distracted the guards, the few seconds giving Kim enough time to ambush, taking down more and more of the guards until none were left. “Through that door, we don't have much time!” Duncan yelled at her. She mimicked her first door bursting, tearing the door clean off the wall. They both sprinted through the new hole, now only a stretch of lawn and a fence separating them from freedom. Guards were yelling, using those sticks that fired things; he could hear them whiz about them. 

Kim reached the fence first, tearing through it with a struggle. Electricity arched off it and to her; he could tell it was hurting her. “Kim!” he yelled in vain as she finished ripping the metal. She lumbered through the gap, her gait erratic and slow. Duncan caught up to her even with her father on her back. “Come on, let’s get to the woods, we can hide there,” he said, reaching out to touch Kim’s furry arm. She looked back at him, her purple eyes not as shiny as they were before. She nodded to him, and started moving again next to Duncan. 

Once they got to the forest, Duncan spotted some tall brush they could hide behind. “Over here,” he whispered to Kim. He let her father slip off his back, now realizing how sore he felt after the adrenaline wore off. Kim collapsed in a huff as soon as she got to the brush, breathing heavily. “How are you feeling?” he asked her. She only looked up at him, her eyes even less shiny now. Duncan peeked around the brush, seeing guards with lights moving towards the woods. “We can’t stay here for long. Can you keep going? And can you walk on your own?” he asked Kim and her father respectively. 

“I can manage, we don’t have to sprint now,” her father responded. After a few moments, Kim opened her eyes again and stood up, eyes starting to get more vibrant again.

“Let’s get going then. I don’t know how far they’ll follow us, but they don’t know where we’re heading,” Duncan stated, taking charge of the situation. 

 

Kim’s strength recovered as they travelled, but eventually they were all too exhausted to keep going. They came to a stream; Duncan built a fire while the others rested. They hadn’t seen any of the lights from the guards for some time. The woods were confusing at night, but Duncan’s previous travel through the forest gave him the advantage. They got through the hard part, now the long travel was ahead of them.


	22. Epilogue: Back Where We Belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan, Kim, and her father make their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it...This is the end. It's been great, and I'd love to explore this world more, but I must leave it here. Perhaps one day I may pick it up again, do some one shots, but it's time to move on. I'll put my prospective schedule in the notes at the end.

It took Kim a week after that night to fully recover from their escape. If they had actual food, she probably would've recovered quicker, but for the first few days they survived on what they could find on the forest floor. Kim could barely walk, the shock seemed to have stiffened all her muscles, making their travel slow. Duncan led them back to the wreckage of their old camp on the first day, but foragers or animals had taken anything left that would've been good to eat still. Duncan did pick up some scraps to trade when they got to some civilization, pieces of metal he couldn't fit into his pack in the first place. They made it back to Havensdale eventually; the scraps he and Kim's father could carry got them food and beds for a night.

Kim, however, needed rest, but they didn’t have enough money to spend another night. Duncan remembered the bookmaker, the one who gave them the information to locate the Silver Star. He asked him for help, anything to ease Kim’s body or work to make money to stay for awhile. The bookmaker helped him and her father get some temporary work in town, together making enough to keep a room and get food. They stayed for a couple of days, Kim sleeping most of it. By their third day in Havensdale, she could move quite well on her own, the stiffness in her muscles faded. 

Two weeks later they made it, made it all the way back to their home. Duncan was very grateful they had too much stuff to take it all; there was just enough to keep them going through the rest of winter, with a couple trips to Redwick once he got the machines up and running. Everything was where they left it, the house eerily untouched, a layer of dust on everything like when Duncan first arrived at the building. “So this is where you've lived,” her father said as he wandered around their home. “And you can use all of these?” he asked Duncan when he saw the lab. 

“I can. They'll make us food, well indirectly anyway. I'll be able to get the metals the blacksmith in Redwick likes so we can trade,” Duncan answered, touching and checking his machines like they were his prized horses. There was a joyous giggle down the hallway; Duncan knew Kim was in her magic room. Her father followed the noise, he followed her father. 

“Are you alright?” her father asked her.

“Oh, I'm more than alright. Duncan, I've got all the things I needed for the growing spell! As long as you can sprout some seeds, we'll be getting food in a few weeks.”

“Good, good. I think I'm going to turn the stable into an indoor garden, put some windows in the roof if I can,” he answered. 

“Spells? What are you talking about Kim?” her father asked, confusion on his face.

“It's magic, and it works,” Kim answered. “It can be confusing, but it's safe. Don't worry.”

Her father looked at her, trying to process it all, his face signaling defeat. “If you can do it, then who am I to stop you,” he resigned. 

“I could teach you, if you’d like,” Kim offered.

“No, no, you need to focus on growing the food, teaching me isn’t important,” he responded meekly.

“The spells won’t take me forever, they work over time. If I do them over and over without a day or more in between, it doesn’t help the plants grow,” she clarified.

Her father sighed. “We’ll see, I don’t want to be in the way.”

 

Kim's spells worked wonderfully. Once Duncan made his garden, the snows started falling in thick blankets, cutting them off from any trips to Redwick. Duncan sprouted all he could find, even seeds he had no clue what were. A week later, his garden was speckled with greens, little leaves and blades trying to survive. Kim's work made those specks turn into a small forest, growing up Duncan's carrots, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, all sorts of things, keeping them fed until the snows melted. Her father was amazed by the magic; he had never seen anything like it. Though he was skeptical at first, he accepted it easily like Duncan had those months ago. Like his daughter, he turned out to be quite the natural at magic, advancing quickly in the book.

The Silver Star never came up in conversation, only in nightmares. They were far enough away that the Silver Star wouldn't find them. Nighttime comforting, assurance that it was just a dream, became routine for a bit, until the scary images and sounds gradually got replaced by relived snowball fights, stories around the hearth, thoughts about future projects. Her father was aloof for the first few months, like he felt out of place in their home, probably tortured by his own images though he never woke anyone up. 

Duncan had lost his mother's broach, back when they stripped him of his belongings at the Silver Star compound. He hadn't heard from his mother since, but every so often Duncan thought he heard a faint voice in the wind, a presence in the room with him, like she was there, barely. Maybe one day the broach would end up back in his hands, or his mother would find a way to unlink from it. Having Kim's father with them helped ease the pain he felt from losing her once again. 

As spring rolled around, her father relaxed. He would take walks outside once the snow melted, and come back with a smile on his face or something new he found in the woods for his magic studies. Duncan had him ready the outdoor garden when it warmed up enough to start the trees budding, and he did well with the job, the activity giving him purpose. Richard visited in the spring as well, bringing some herbs and medicines, but no helpful news for Kim. He had been on his own adventures, visiting some of the southern villages, learning new techniques. Kim wasn’t too sad though; she had made her peace with herself. She had saved her friend and father because of her ability, and, though she still couldn’t remember anything while in that state, wouldn’t hurt those she cared about.

Things were back to normal it seemed. Little trips to Redwick seemed like nothing now, compared to the three week trek. Their adventure gave him a newfound appreciation for their home. Duncan was glad to be alive, safe again, with people he loved and his machines to keep him busy. He had been scared when he first ran away from his home, concerned he’d never have anyone else in his life; he never expected his life to be this interesting, to be close to death, and thrive. He certainly didn’t expect to end up this happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have some one shots I've done, and a new chapter on "Better than Expected" I've written. I haven't decided which I'd like to release first (feel free to shoot me an ask on my [ tumblr](http://adapted-batteries.tumblr.com)) but whatever I end up choosing, it will be uploaded here on Ao3 on **January 18th, 2016.** This gives me a break, and time to work on "Not So Lonely Anymore" while doing school.


End file.
